


Unplanned

by Irrepressable



Series: Parrotverse [6]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Denial of Feelings, Drama, F/M, Humor, Interfering TARDIS, Music, Romance, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 15:49:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7851382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irrepressable/pseuds/Irrepressable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After what didn't happen last time, they were both certain that they were incompatible. Sometimes life is full of little surprises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had a few requests from my mother for this kind of story and it sounded like fun to write, so I figured, fuck it. I'll do my best to do an adequate job so you, my beloved readers, will enjoy this. So, I present to you, Unplanned. Warning: this chapter contains NSFW material. This takes place 7 months after Heated.

Chapter 1: Almost Confessing

　

Day 1:

Another Wednesday, another trip with the Doctor. This was the way that things had always been with Clara and the Doctor. Well, there was the relatively new thing of the two of them sleeping together for the past seven months. Well, sleeping might not be the right word since what they did involved little to no actual sleeping. They'd never even had sex in an actual bed. Pretty much everywhere else in the TARDIS or on nearly every surface in Clara's flat, but never in a bed. That was just too, well, serious. The Doctor had told Clara that he needed her. That didn't mean that he loved her. They were very, very close, but love? That wasn't something that either of them was ready to admit. The whole thing was rather complicated. Enjoyable, but complicated. So, they continued what they had always done, only with the Doctor shagging Clara on any available surface and living in denial of the fact that things were getting even more complicated. Still, though they had sex often, they weren't _constantly_ doing it. Such a celibate moment was when the Doctor's most recent arrival in Clara's flat. No sex in Clara's home and no sex in the TARDIS. Just a trip that the Doctor was very excited about. "It's the Festival of Freedom on Lithurgis, Clara." the Doctor explained excitedly. "It's the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the reign of Patriarch Cisly Veknahi."

　

"You wouldn't normally get that excited about a party." Clara said flatly, "It's food, isn't it? Food always gets you excited. It's like you'll eat anything."

　

The Doctor was silent for a moment as he pressed buttons and pulled levers. Clara placed her hands on her hips and said, "Well?"

　

"It's the layered cakes." the Doctor finally admitted. "This body seems to be fond of cake."

　

Clara smiled. Typical Doctor. The Time Lord's desire to go to a party just for something sweet was rather cute. Cute. That wasn't a word that Clara had ever thought would describe the Doctor's current incarnation. "What will the party be like?" Clara asked.

　

The Doctor grimaced and said, "Dancing, recreations of classic Lithurgian stories, and a great deal of alien karaoke."

　

"It doesn't sound that bad." Clara said with a shrug.

　

" _Out-of-tune_ alien karaoke." The Doctor elaborated.

　

"You'd go just for the cake?" Clara said, a bit surprised.

　

"It's very good cake." the Doctor replied. "We can leave before the karaoke starts."

　

"Is it really that bad?" Clara asked.

　

"Calling it 'bad' would be overly charitable." the Doctor said with a scowl. Suddenly, the scowl faded from the Doctor's face. He returned to pressing buttons and pulling levers before saying, "Anyway, we have a festival to attend. You humans like parties. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

　

"We'll see." Clara said, still curious about this party on Lithurgis.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooo

　

When the TARDIS arrived on Lithurgis, the Doctor and Clara exited the ship to find themselves in a beautiful, sunlit forest. Clara's breath was taken away by its beauty. At first, the Doctor seemed amused when he looked at her expression. Then his own expression softened, his eyes on Clara as if seeing something wonderful. The Time Lord shook his head before addressing his companion. "Come." the Doctor said. "The festival should be this way."

　

Clara followed the Doctor until, finally, they arrived at a clearing. There was a stage where the reenactments would be performed, a clearing for dancing, a table full of food, and various other party-related things. It was filled with celebrating Lithurgians. The Lithurgians were various colors, from brown to almost white. They had darker spots and speckles on their temples and the sides of their necks. The Doctor immediately made a beeline for the table. Picking up a plate, he served himself a slice of cake. The table had several varieties of cake. He was eager to try them all.

　

In the meantime, Clara's attention had been taken by the reenactments. She stood up behind the Lithurgians who were sitting and watching the play so she could see better. The current reenactment was that of a famous Lithurgian poet romancing the woman that had inspired him to create some of Lithurgis' greatest poetry. As it went on, Clara's heart was moved by the romance and sadness of the play. She couldn't help but sniffle and rub her eyes, tears threatening to fall. She did not succeed. The Doctor, who had been enjoying his cake the entire time, seemed to notice. He walked over to his companion, noting her behavior. Finally, the Doctor said, "You're doing that thing again- the crying thing."

　

"It's not sad and romantic." Clara sniffled. "Not at all."

　

The Doctor rolled his eyes and returned to eating his cake. When he was done, he placed his fork on his plate and lowered to his side. Unbidden, his free hand reached for Clara's. At first, he didn't realize that he had taken Clara's hand in his. He glanced at his companion and saw that she was looking at him, her cheeks tinted by pink. It was then that he noticed where his hand was. He looked back at Clara. She gave his hand a squeeze. The Doctor stood there for a moment before setting his plate on a nearby table. He then moved over to stand next to Clara. Then it was she who reached for the Doctor's hand. For the duration of the play, neither felt the need to let go.

　

When the play was done, a band took the stage and started playing classic, rather festive-sounding Lithurgian folk songs. Clara let go of the Doctor's hand, smiled at him, and headed over to the center of the clearing to dance. She picked up the dance rather quickly, keeping up with the Lithurgians. After the dancing had ended, Clara took a break. She walked over to the Doctor, who was eating yet another slice of cake. "Having fun?" Clara asked.

　

The Doctor tried to say something, but his mouth was full of cake. He swallowed and said, "Thoroughly. There's so many varieties of cake."

　

He had also been enjoying watching Clara, but he wouldn't say that. He glanced at Clara's face, which was a little flushed from all the dancing she had done. He rather liked seeing Clara's face flushed like that. It reminded him of the way her face flushed for _different reasons_ , reasons that they both greatly enjoyed. When Clara saw how the Doctor was looking at her, her face flushed even further. When the karaoke started, the Doctor looked directly at his companion. His eyes darkened as he took her in. Clara returned his sensual gaze, her eyes growing chocolate with arousal. "Let's go." the Doctor said slyly, "Let's get away from this terrible excuse for singing."

　

"Yes." Clara said breathlessly. "We shouldn't have to listen to it any longer."

　

The Time Lord took the human female's hand and led her away from the festival. If Clara thought that the festival was fun, the Doctor was going to show her something that was even more fun. Clara looked forward to the experience. Once they were safely out of earshot of the partying Lithurgians, the Doctor's gaze swept over the area, searching for a suitable surface on which to have his way with his companion. He spotted a large, flat rock. That would do. He lifted Clara up and set her down on the rock. Clara looked directly at the Doctor and began to unbutton her blouse. Little by little, she revealed herself until her top was finally open. She then removed it from her body, setting the blouse down on the large rock. She looked back at the Doctor's face, which carried a very heated expression. Clara smiled coyly. Oh, she knew exactly what she was doing. The Time Lord furrowed his brows and reached down for Clara. While he was working on the difficult task of unfastening Clara's bra, Clara was busy removing the Doctor's coat. The Time Lord removed his hands from the human female before shrugging off his coat, letting it fall to the leaf-covered ground. Once the Doctor had removed his coat, Clara had started unbuttoning his shirt. Off came the shirt, which joined the coat on the ground. The Doctor then returned to the task of disrobing Clara. Her bra was the first thing to be removed. When Clara started to work on removing her skirt, the Doctor reached for her chest and palmed her breasts. He massaged Clara's breasts with his cool, skilled hands. He adjusted his position slightly and pinched Clara's pebbled nipples. Clara gasped. The Doctor smiled. He leaned in and kissed her neck, running his lips over it before settling on Clara's pulse point. The Doctor began to suckle on that point on her neck. He always enjoyed leaving his mark behind that lingered even after they had coupled. Clara let out a soft moan and ran her finger through the Doctor's silver curls. The Time Lord shivered at the pleasurable sensation of Clara's nails running over his scalp. He removed his lips from Clara's neck and took a step back to take a look at her. Already her breathing had gotten a little bit harder. Speaking of harder, Clara was staring at the impressive bulge in the Doctor's trousers. The human female licked her lips and unzipped her skirt before sliding it down her legs and kicking it off. Then, off came her knickers. The Doctor smirked at Clara before returning to his heated touches. He brought his mouth down on hers, running his tongue over the seam of Clara's lips. She opened her mouth, allowing him entrance. Clara couldn't hold back a moan as the Doctor's tongue plundered her mouth. The eager Clara reached down for the Doctor's trousers, looking forward to taking him inside her. "You're still wearing too many clothes." Clara mumbled.

　

The Doctor shook his head and took Clara's hand, lifting it away from his still-covered hardness. He lowered his head and peppered Clara's throat with kisses before lowering himself further, kissing his way down her body. He paused to slip a nipple into his mouth, suckling at it before giving it a nip and releasing it. He then continued his way down Clara's body. The Doctor pulled Clara's legs apart a bit before kneeling down between them. He buried his face between her legs and inhaled deeply. "Do you have any idea, Clara Oswald," the Doctor said, his low and rough, "what you do to me?"

　

Another jolt of want ran through Clara's womanhood. She met the Doctor's eyes, which were darkened with desire. Clara let out a loud cry when Time Lord then lowered his mouth to her core. He ran his tongue over her folds before settling on the nub that could offer her so much pleasure. When he began to suckle on it, Clara covered her own mouth. Through her hand, she whimpered as the Doctor devoured her. Clara didn't last long under the Doctor's ministrations. She let out a moan that was almost loud enough to be considered a scream. The Doctor leaned back to gaze into Clara's eyes. He licked his lips. Clara was trembling in the aftershocks of her orgasm. The Doctor stood up and unbuttoned his trousers before sliding them down his legs, followed by his underpants. When Clara saw that they had little question marks printed on them, she couldn't help but let out a giggle. The Doctor scowled. Clara had the feeling that very soon, she would be letting out noises that weren't giggles. The Doctor moved back between Clara's legs. He leaned over her, placing an arm on the rock on each side of her body. Clara swallowed. The Doctor then took himself in hand, guiding himself into his companion's warm, welcoming body. Clara was unable to hold back a loud moan. The Doctor didn't wait for her to adjust, but neither did he start a vicious rhythm. Instead, he moved in and out of her with slow, languid strokes, drawing a series of gasps from Clara. After a while, the slow movements became torturous for Clara. She pushed her hips into his, desperate to draw him deeper inside her, for him to go faster, harder. The Doctor got the message and acquiesced. He pulled almost completely out before slamming his hips into hers, hitting a spot inside her that was just right. Clara let out a cry of pleasure. Slowly, he increased his place before he was eventually pounding into her with a hard, almost brutal rhythm. He kept hitting that spot inside Clara, wringing loud moans and cries from Clara's lips. His movements began to grow more and more erratic. They could both tell that he was close. Clara brought her hand between her legs, rubbing at her clitoris to try to help herself along. The Doctor swatted her hand out of the way before taking over. Clara clutched at the Doctor, clawing at his back, leaving trails behind. With the Doctor's thrusts hitting that spot inside of her and his rubbing that spot between her legs that caused her so much pleasure, Clara was done for. She shattered. She screamed her release, her voice echoing through the forest. The Doctor continued to thrust into her until, not long after Clara's orgasm, he reached his own peak. The Doctor let out a loud moan as he spilled into her. The Doctor lowered his head, resting it on Clara's chest as they both caught their breath. Clara let out a chuckle and said, "You know, we're lucky that we're different species."

　

"Hmm?" the Doctor made an enquiring sound.

　

"Today isn't exactly safe for me. If I had sex with a human, I could get pregnant." Clara elaborated.

　

"Clara," the Doctor drawled, "It isn't exactly conducive to the mood to compare the person you just had sex with to someone else."

　

"Sorry." Clara said sheepishly.

　

They both laid there for a while, the Doctor's head resting on Clara's chest as the human female ran her fingers through his hair. They were silent the entire time. The Doctor had a contemplative expression on his face. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure how. Finally, he began, "Clara, I-"

 

The Doctor paused, not finishing his sentence. "You what?" Clara asked.

　

The Doctor frowned and said, "Nothing."

　

The Time Lord removed himself from his companion and began to put his clothes back on. Clara took this as a cue to do the same. As they headed back to the TARDIS, Clara wondered what the Doctor had been about to say. Clara shook her head. Maybe it really was nothing. Either way, she was tired, both from the dancing and her vigorous _activities_ with the Doctor.

　

When they had returned to the TARDIS, Clara immediately plopped down into the seat in the console room. Within seconds, the exhausted human fell asleep. The Doctor looked at her thoughtfully. He almost said it. He had come close, but he would be damned if she didn't say _it_ first.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

**Week 1**

　

Since they'd had sex on Lithurgis, the Doctor had barely touched Clara. This confused her. Normally, when he arrived, the first thing they did was fuck on the nearest stationary surface. The Doctor seemed distracted. The truth was that what he had almost said last Wednesday was still on his mind. It was probably a post-coital emotional high. He didn't even mean it. Still, he had to put a name to what was going on between them. Things were changing.

　

Clara looked at the Doctor and cocked her head. "What's going on in that big brain of yours?" Clara asked.

　

"It's private." the Doctor said.

　

"Strange." Clara said. "Normally you just blurt out whatever comes to mind, regardless of how rude it is."

　

"Can't I have something on my mind without you having to know?" The Doctor snapped

　

"It wouldn't kill you to tell me what you're thinking about!" Clara argued back, "It seems important, so why don't you tell me? What's on your mind?"

　

The Doctor opened his mouth before snapping it shut again. Suddenly, a song began to play from the TARDIS' communication circuits. It was the Michael Bolton song, _When a Man Loves a Woman_. The Doctor and Clara both turned scarlet. The Doctor scowled deeply. They both stood there awkwardly as the song played. When the song was done, Clara said, "Well, that just happened. What's the plan for today?"

　

The Doctor seemed to perk up a bit. "We're going to Thurviglia," he announced, "on a very special night."

　

"What's special about it?" Clara asked.

　

"The moons will be lined up in the exact positions that allow for a triple lunar eclipse." The Doctor said, a bit of excitement creeping into his voice. "In the entire recorded history of Thurviglia, that has only happened _once_ , and we're going to see it."

　

The Doctor's excitement at the prospect of viewing the triple lunar eclipse had proven contagious. Clara was also excited about it. The TARDIS was landed on Thurviglia just as the sun was starting to set. The lights in the city below were dimmed so light pollution wouldn't greatly hamper the view of the eclipse. There were several dozen chitin-hided Thurviglians gathered in the area outside the city as well, all having gathered to view the eclipse from there. The Doctor sat down in the grass. A few seconds later, Clara joined the Doctor, sitting right next to him. Up on this hill, the view would be spectacular. Slowly, the skies darkened and the moons appeared in the sky. The Time Lord and his human companion continued to wait until, finally, the triple lunar eclipse began. In the surprising calm of the night, Clara and the Doctor watched the phenomenon unfold. About halfway through the eclipse, the Doctor glanced over at Clara. Her eyes were wide with wonder at what was unfolding in the sky. The Doctor could see the moons and the stars reflected in Clara's dark eyes. They were beautiful, the Doctor thought. The eclipsing moons, not Clara's eyes. There was nothing dangerous happening. It was just the Doctor, Clara, and the open sky. Well, them and a few dozen Thurviglians. Of course, the Thurviglians were easily ignored. Clara adjusted her position a bit to get more comfortable. When she settled back down, she accidentally placed her hand on top of the Doctor's. She looked at him. He looked at her. Clara quickly looked back up at the sky, grateful that no one could see her blushing in the low light. The Doctor looked at Clara for a split second before returning to his stargazing. He didn't move his hand out from under hers.

　

When the eclipse was over and the moons had returned to their usual bright state, the Doctor and Clara stood back up. Clara thought about it for a moment. Holding hands under the moonlight, gazing up at the stars, would be considered romantic by most people. The fact made her feel a little funny. She felt funny in a nice way. When she looked at the Doctor, a burst of warmth flowed through her chest. Nonsexual. Pleasant. Clara decided not to think about it.

　

Little did she know that the Doctor, as he stood next to her, decided not to think about the same thing.

 


	2. Chapter 2: Surprise!

Week 2

　

This particular Wednesday had been a bit strange for the Doctor. Clara was behaving differently. They had just returned to the TARDIS after escaping a volley of laser fire. When they were safely back into the vortex, the Doctor turned to Clara and asked, "All right, what's wrong with you this time?"

　

"What?" Clara said, seemingly startled, "Nothing's wrong."

　

"You've been acting distracted." the Doctor pointed out. "You've been agreeing with me without argument and you haven't once corrected me or called me rude."

　

"I'm not distracted!" Clara insisted. " _Nothing_ is wrong!"

　

"Yes, there is." the Doctor argued.

　

"Is not!" Clara argued back

　

"You're lying." the Doctor said with a frown.

　

Clara scowled at the Doctor for several long seconds before slumping her shoulders. "All right, I've been distracted." the impossible girl admitted. "One of my friends is getting married next week and I'm supposed to be a bridesmaid. I can't show up without a date and I don't know how to dance."

　

"You danced on Lithurgis." the Doctor pointed out.

　

"That's one thing." Clara said, still despairing. "At Alicia's wedding, there is going to be _waltzing_. I have two left feet!" The petite brunette ran a hand through her hair and continued, "James is going to be there."

　

"James?" the Doctor questioned, "Your former _boyfriend_?"

　

When the Doctor said the word 'boyfriend', his facial expression made him appear as if the word had left a foul taste in his mouth. He really, really didn't like that word. Clara rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, James. My ex-boyfriend. He was invited. He suggested that we just go together." She sighed and added, "Maybe I should. He can teach me how to dance. It's not like I have anyone else to teach me. You, for example."

　

The Doctor folded his arms in front of his chest and defensively said, "I can dance."

　

" _You_ can dance?" Clara said with a snort. "I can't picture that."

　

"Just because I _don't_ dance doesn't mean that I _can't_ dance." the Doctor replied.

　

"And what," Clara asked sarcastically, "I suppose _you'll_ teach me how to waltz?"

　

"Better me than that fumbling idiot." the Doctor said with a snort. "The only thing he'd teach you is how to step on someone's toes."

　

"All right." Clara said firmly. "Let's see what you can do- right here, right now."

　

"You're always bossy." the Doctor said with an amused snort.

　

"Then listen to your boss and teach me how to dance." Clara replied with a slight smile.

　

The Doctor nodded and stepped over to Clara. He was standing rather close to her, as was necessary, when he showed her where to put her hands. The TARDIS took the initiative and started playing a little music. The Doctor attempted to talk Clara through the steps of the dance, but things were not going well. Finally, Clara let go of the Doctor and stepped back. "This isn't working." She said, frowning.

　

"You're not letting me lead." the Doctor explained.

　

"Why do you have to lead?" Clara asked.

　

"Because _I_ actually know what I'm doing." the Doctor replied. "Dancing with you is like dancing with broomstick."

　

Clara frowned. "Maybe I'm just not good at this." She admitted.

　

"Well, you're lucky that you have me to teach you." the Doctor responded.

　

"All right." Clara said, stepping back up to the Doctor and putting her hands into place. "Teach me."

　

They began to move again, but Clara was still stiff. The Doctor let out a groan and said, "Clara, you need to relax."

　

"I can't relax." Clara replied.

　

"Stop thinking about it and close your eyes." the Doctor instructed. "Just relax and let me lead."

　

Clara closed her eyes, putting her trust in the Doctor and allowing him to lead. Slowly, the Time Lord guided her through the motions until, finally, Clara had relaxed enough to open her eyes. They weren't moving particularly quickly, but they were dancing. Clara's eyes lit up. A small smile quirked at the corners of the Doctor's lips. They continued to practice until Clara was familiar with the steps. As they waltzed around the console, Clara asked, "All right, _teacher_ , what now?"

　

"Well," the Doctor answered, "It's a wedding, so there will probably be slow dancing."

　

"I don't suppose you know how to do that?" Clara inquired with a smile.

　

"I told you, I know how to dance." the Doctor replied, a faint smirk appearing on his face.

　

"All right, then." Clara said. "Show me how to do it."

  
"Yes, boss." the Doctor said sarcastically.

　

The Doctor placed Clara's hands on his shoulders before placing his own on her waist. The Time Lord led his companion as they swayed back and forth, using their feet to slowly turn on the spot. The slow dance continued, the intention being to familiarize Clara with it. The Doctor slowly became aware of how close they were standing as they danced. He soon also became aware of the fact that the TARDIS had changed the song to Elvis Presley's _Can't Help Falling In Love_. The Doctor looked down at Clara's face. Their eyes met. For a second, the Doctor realized that he then understood the meaning of the human phrase 'butterflies in the stomach'. He did indeed feel a strange fluttering sensation. He could hear Clara's breath suddenly hitch. The Doctor stepped back from Clara. He cleared his throat before asking, "Are you now familiar enough with those particular dances?"

　

"Yes." Clara said, her cheeks ever so slightly pink. "Erm, thanks."

　

"You're welcome." the Doctor replied awkwardly.

　

Clara smiled and said, "Now I suppose if I _do_ go to the wedding with James, maybe I could teach him a thing or two."

　

"You are _not_ going with him." the Doctor said firmly.

　

"Oh? Why not?" Clara asked, a bit irritated at the moment.

　

"Your toes will be black and blue by the time the whole thing is over." the Doctor said. "I've seen the idiot. He can barely handle walking."

　

"Who am I supposed to take, then?" Clara asked, still irritated. " _You_?"

　

There was a brief silence as Clara waited with secret anticipation for the Doctor's answer. Finally, the Time Lord sighed and said, "All right. But if things go terribly wrong, I'm blaming you."

　

Clara couldn't fight a smile. When the TARDIS arrived at Clara's flat, the petite human began to head for the door. As she was stepping outside, she turned around. "See you next week, Doctor. You'd better bring a tuxedo."

　

After Clara closed the door behind her, the Doctor let out a groan and brought a hand up to cover his face. Just what had he gotten himself into?

　

oooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 3

　

When the Doctor, dressed in a tuxedo, arrived at the wedding, his gaze swept over to the crowd until he found Clara. She was clad in an ankle-length pink gown with matching heels. She was standing with other pink-clad women who weren't far away from the bride. The vicar was droning something- the Doctor wasn't really paying attention. His focus was on Clara. She looked rather queasy. It was probably her nerves. The bride and groom said something- the Doctor didn't pay attention to that, either. Clara seemed to be getting sicker and sicker. When the bride and groom finally kissed, the Doctor watched as Clara suddenly grabbed her stomach and bolted for the nearest rubbish bin. She leaned over it and emptied her stomach of its contents. She did this repeatedly until, finally, she was done. The Doctor quickly made his way over to her. The bride was also approaching Clara. The olive-skinned woman gently placed a hand on Clara's back and asked, "Clara, honey, are you okay?"

　

Clara shuddered briefly before standing up. "I'm fine." the impossible girl said. "I guess it was just my nerves. Funny. The bride is usually supposed to be the one nervous at a wedding."

　

The bride, Alicia, laughed and said, "Well, that's true. Are you going to be okay?"

　

"I'll be okay." Clara said with a tired grin.

　

"Help yourself to a drink." Alicia offered. "We don't have any alcohol, though. Nathan's family doesn't believe in drinking."

　

Clara smiled and the Doctor groaned audibly. Clara then glared at him. The Time Lord shrugged before following the rest of the crowd to the place where the reception would be held. Clara reached the place before him. She then poured herself a glass of water and slowly sipped it, trying to get something back into her stomach. As Clara was finishing her glass, the Doctor noticed a man approach her. The man was- the Doctor felt a twinge of envy- a ginger fellow. He immediately recognized him as Clara's former boyfriend, James. James began to chat with Clara, apparently saying something funny, because she laughed. This continued for a while. The Doctor tried not to notice it, but for some reason his attention kept drifting back to the interactions between his companion and that pathetic human male. Finally, it was time for the dancing. An unexpected anger filled the Doctor's hearts when he saw James lead Clara to the dance floor. They began to dance, James leading Clara in a waltz. Unlike the Doctor's predictions, the man actually didn't step on Clara's toes. James leaned into Clara's ear to whisper something. _All right, that's it._ The Doctor stormed over to them. He tapped James on the shoulder. The ginger and his dance partner paused their waltz, James turning to face the Doctor. "I'm cutting in." the Doctor said bluntly, stepping between the two.

　

The Doctor took Clara's hands and placed them in the proper position before he took James' place in leading the petite brunette in a waltz. "What was that all about?" Clara asked.

　

"It was only a matter of time before he stepped on your toes." The Doctor said, still cross about the whole thing. "I'll not have you running around with a broken foot."

　

"You know, Doctor," Clara said teasingly, "if I didn't know better, I might think that you were jealous."

　

"Me, jealous?" the Doctor said with a snort. "Never. Can't I look out for the welfare of my companion?"

　

Clara rolled her eyes and said, "Just shut up and dance with me."

　

So they did. Eventually, the music slowed and the other guests' dancing changed. Automatically, Clara placed her hands on the Doctor's shoulder and he put his hands on her waist. Slowly, they swayed from side to side as they moved in place. The Doctor noted that the song they were currently dancing to was Rod Stewart's _For The First Time_. They continued to dance, their bodies becoming closer until, finally, they were touching one another. With the voice of Rod Stewart being projected from speakers, the Doctor and Clara's eyes met. They were so close. Unconsciously, the Doctor began to bend over, lowering his head closer to hers. Clara moved up on her tip-toes, each slowly closing the distance between their faces. Finally, their lips met. There was no tongue involved. It was not sexual. It was slow, lingering, and sweet. When they separated, they both knew that a line had been crossed. Sure, they had kissed before, but that was during sex. This was different. This was less heated, but somehow filled the two of them with more warmth than any prior kiss. Clara brought her hand up to the Doctor's face to caress his cheek. They each gazed into one another's eyes. Clara brought her arms up around the Doctor's neck before pressing her lips to his once more.

　

The rest of the reception was a blur. Afterwards, Clara and the Doctor found themselves in a hotel room. Clothes were slowly shed, neither of them in any hurry. This was different in a way that neither of them wanted to put a name to. Gently, the Doctor lowered Clara to the bed before crawling between her legs. Their eyes met and slowly, carefully, the Doctor filled her. They were still for a moment before the Doctor began to move. He slid in and out of Clara with slow, languid strokes. As he took her, he held her close to him and she held him in return. He lowered his head, bringing his mouth down onto hers. The sweet kiss lingered until they both had to separate to breathe. As they coupled, the Doctor would pepper Clara's face with kisses. This was not like it usually was with them. This wasn't a hard, fast fuck against the wall. It was intimate. It was slow, gentle, unhurried. It wasn't just sex. Clara didn't put a name to what they were doing. Had the Doctor been anyone else, Clara would not deny that they were making love. The Doctor read Clara like a book, taking cues from her body to touch her in just the right places. As he read these cues, he gradually increased his pace, rocking in and out of Clara. When they finally climaxed, they came together. They held each other for several minutes before the Doctor finally pulled his softened length out of her. Clara rolled onto her side and rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder. He had to do it anyway to avoid discomfort, but he put his arm around her. They held one another even after, finally, they both drifted off into slumber.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

When Clara awoke in the morning, she realized four things. One, this was not her bed. Two, she was not alone. Three, she was naked, and four, the person in bed with her was also naked. She opened her eyes, remembering who it actually was in bed with her. It was hard to believe, but here he was, still there. She looked up at him to see that he was already awake. Clara swallowed and said, "Hello."

　

"Hello." the Doctor said back.

　

Right. They'd had sex last night, Clara remembered. They'd made love. Words eluded Clara. The Doctor didn't seem to be able find them, either. Finally, it was he who spoke up, or at least tried to. "Clara," he said softly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his companion's ear.

　

"Yes?" Clara whispered.

　

"I-" he tried to say something, but was interrupted.

　

He was interrupted by Clara suddenly bolting out of bed and rushing to the lavatory to empty her stomach. The Doctor could hear her vomiting loudly. Finally, she seemed to regain control of her stomach. She leaned out the door and anounced that she was going to take a shower. After Clara was done washing herself, the Doctor took over the shower. By the time he walked back into the other room, Clara was dressed. The Doctor quickly put his clothes back on as well. They each gave the other a lingering, undefinable look before finally leaving the motel room. When they returned to the TARDIS, Clara rushed off once more to find a safe place to empty her stomach. The Doctor grimaced. Humans and their stomach illnesses. It would probably pass by the time he saw her next Wednesday.

　

ooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 5

　

Only it didn't. Clara kept getting sick. It was worst in the mornings. When she wasn't sick, she was ravenous. She couldn't stop eating. One week of sickness, fine, but two weeks? Clara was starting to get worried. She needed to see a doctor- a proper one. So, she scheduled an appointment and went to a physician.

　

"So, Miss Oswald," the doctor, Doctor Jeffries, inquired, "What seems to be the problem?"

　

"I've been sick." Clara admitted. "It's been two weeks and I can't stop vomiting."

　

"I see." Doctor Jeffries said, taking down notes. "Any other symptoms?"

　

"I'm always hungry." Clara said. "When I'm not throwing up, that is. Lately, it's been chips. It's all I can keep down."

　

Doctor Jeffries let out a 'hrrm' before finally asking, "Miss Oswald, when was your last period?"

　

All of a sudden, Clara's heart was filled with dread. She quickly grabbed her coat and said, "I have to go!"

　

As the petite woman fled, Doctor Jeffries called out, "Wait, Miss Oswald!"

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Clara sat, curled up, completely terrified in her bathroom. She gazed over at the sink. Four white sticks, all displaying the same result. To say that she was shocked was an understatement. She had been so sure that they were incompatable, but here she was in this situation. When the sound of the TARDIS materializing in her flat reached Clara's ears, she swallowed and stood up. Words could not describe just how scared she was. Would this put an end to her travels with the Doctor? What was going to happen to her? Clara was lost in thought as the Doctor swung open the TARDIS' door before looking at the human female and saying, "Let's go! We don't have all day. Well, we do, since I have a time machine."

　

He then popped back into the TARDIS. Taking a deep breath, Clara followed him into the ship. She looked at the grey-haired Time Lord. "You can decide this time." the Doctor said. "Where in time and space, Clara? Medieval France? The mountains of Altheria? The underwater city on Lithurgis' second moon?"

　

Clara didn't think about any of those. She was still stuck in thought. The Doctor, seemingly impatient, turned to face the console and said, "The mountains of Altheria it is, then."

　

Clara knew that it might be a very, very bad idea considering her current situation. The Doctor was pulling levers and pushing buttons. "Doctor, I can't go."

　

"Of course you can." the Doctor said, reaching for yet another lever. "You like shiny things. The mountains have these crystal-filled caves and-"

　

Clara finally blurted out, "Doctor, I'm pregnant."

　

The Doctor froze. His hand was just above the lever, mere inches away from taking it and pulling it. His posture stiffened. From behind, Clara couldn't see the look of hurt and anger building on his face. "Who is it?" he asked, fury creeping into his voice.

　

"What?" Clara said dumbly.

　

"It's that James idiot, isn't it?" The Doctor growled, spinning to face his companion. "You two are back together."

　

"No, Doctor, I-" Clara tried to speak, but the Doctor interrupted her.

　

"You two are back together and now you're starting your own little family." the Doctor was trying to keep the hurt out of his voice. "Congratulations. You'll get your own little house with a nice picket fence and two-point-five children."

　

And she would leave him. The Doctor turned away and placed his hands on the console. Not looking at Clara, he said in a tight, rough voice, "Have a nice life."

　

"You just don't listen, do you?" Clara snapped.

　

"Just go." the Doctor grunted.

　

"Just listen to me!" Clara shouted.

　

"Fine. Gloat, then." the Time Lord said angrily, turning to face Clara once more.

　

Clara stomped over to the Doctor and punched him in the shoulder. Fury in her eyes and in her voice, Clara shouted, "It's yours, you idiot!"

　

All of the color drained from the Doctor's face. "What?" he stammered, "Are you sure?"

　

"Of course I'm sure!" Clara snapped. "You're the only person I've been with in the last seven months!"

　

The Time Lord stared at her for several long moments before his face fell. He spoke up, then saying dully, "You're not going to keep it, are you?"

　

Clara sighed dramatically before smacking the Doctor in the arm. "Of course I'm going to keep it!" the impossible girl said. "Or, is this a bad thing for you? Do you even _want_ a kid or are you going to leave me stranded on Earth to run off somewhere?"

　

"I," the Doctor began. "No. I'm not."

　

Clara recalled the disappointed sound of his voice when they had discovered that she wasn't pregnant some months ago, and the hopeful sound of his voice when a 'next time' was mentioned. She squared her shoulders and asked, "Are we really going to do this?"

　

In a voice that was filled with certainty, the Doctor said, "I'm not leaving you, Clara."

　

Clara's eyes began to tear up. Breathlessly, she whispered, "We're having a baby."

　

"I suppose there are worse people to have a child with." the Doctor said.

　

Clara just rolled her eyes and punched the Doctor in the arm before leaning into him and wrapping her arms around him. The Doctor hesitated before placing a hand on Clara's shoulder. Clara stepped back and turned to face the Doctor. She paused before standing on tip-toes, her mouth seeking out his. The Time Lord, of course, met his companion halfway. In the background, they could hear the TARDIS playing Elvis Presley's _Burning Love_.


	3. Chapter 3: And So It Continues

Week 6

Though outwardly he seemed calm, even nonchalant about the prospect of impending fatherhood, the Doctor was secretly terrified. He hadn't expected to ever become a father again with anyone, let alone one of his companions. He knew that she was going to keep it, but what would happen next? Would he be able to keep Clara safe? What if there were complications with her pregnancy? What if it didn't like him? It was all the anxious Time Lord could do to not bite his nails. He was indeed completely terrified. Still, terrified or not, some part of him actually looked forward to being a father again. Clara Oswald, his best friend in the entire universe, was going to bear his child. There were definitely worse people he could have a child with. He cared for her a great deal. He was very fond of her. However fond of Clara he was, the Doctor would never say a certain thing to her, three simple but very meaningful words that would cross a line that even impending parenthood might not cross. No, he wouldn't say them. Especially if Clara didn't say them first. He knew that she cared a great deal about him, but _those words_? He wasn't sure it was even possible for them. No matter what had transpired the night after Clara's friend's wedding, he thought bitterly.

　

There had been arguments between himself and Clara after he found out about her pregnancy. He wanted her to stay with him so he could watch over her. She wanted to stay in her flat where she claimed it was safer. Clara did eventually win the argument. She was going to stay at her flat and continue her life and her job as usual. The Doctor would visit her, but it probably wouldn't be as often as he would like. On a few occasions, he had actually picked her up after her work day had ended. She seemed annoyed with this, but she didn't argue. Much. She didn't want to uproot her life just because she was pregnant. This frustrated the Doctor to no end, but he couldn't really argue with her. And so, it continued.

　

One Wednesday, he visited her to check up on her. She was going crazy from staying alone in her boring flat. After much convincing, and 'the look', the Doctor finally acquiesced. That didn't mean that he would take her someplace potentially dangerous, though. No, he would take her to a nice, calm resort planet. This pleased Clara. When the Doctor commented that it wouldn't be long before she wouldn't be able to fit in her bathing suit, she hit him. Apparently, it wasn't a good idea to comment on Clara's future weight gain. So far, she wasn't showing. This wouldn't last for long. It would only be a few weeks before she started to show visible signs of her pregnancy. Oddly enough, the Doctor rather looked forward to it.

　

On the resort planet, Clara stood in her swimsuit, her waist wrapped in a sarong, her eyes protected with shades, and a wide-brimmed hat also protecting her face. The Doctor stood near her, watching her protectively. She seemed a little annoyed by this. As she began to move out of the shade, the Doctor said, "You're not going out into the sunlight without sunblock."

　

Clara paused for a moment. She couldn't really disagree with him. So, she reached into her beach bag and withdrew the nearly-forgotten sunblock. She covered her arms and legs with it before adding a dab on her nose and cheeks. Clara glanced back at the Doctor and said, "I can't reach my back."

　

The Doctor generally didn't like touching people, but he had, in the past months, made Clara an exception. Still, he let out a dramatic sigh before squirting a dollop of sunblock into his hands and rubbing it onto Clara's back. When he reached her shoulders, he couldn't help himself. Slowly, he began to massage her shoulders. Clara let out a pleased sigh. Eventually, she did speak up. "If you're _in the mood_ , I'll have to say no. I want to go swimming." the impossible girl said with a smile.

　

The Doctor stepped back and allowed her to leave the shade. Clara made a beeline for the water. Slowly, she waded in. The waters were some of the clearest she had ever seen. When she reached the appropriate depth, she started to swim, enjoying the perfect temperature of the water. The Doctor, standing on the beach, watched Clara with a mild case of anxiety. What if she drowned? He was never this overprotective before. He watched her to continue to swim out before laying back and floating on her back. The Doctor bit his thumb. He needed to calm down. The anxious Time Lord waited a good two hours before his companion finally swam back to shore. She walked back over to her towel and beach bag to put her sandals on. She turned to the Doctor and said, "I could use a drink."

　

"Nothing alcoholic, I assume." the Doctor blurted out.

　

Clara rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not a moron, Doctor. I'm just going to get a soda or some juice."

　

So, they headed to a juice bar, where Clara ordered some concoction that smelled like peaches and mangos. She gave it a sip and let out a pleased hum before saying, "Here's hoping that I'll be able to keep this down."

　

Right. Clara's morning sickness didn't seem to be limited to mornings. This displeased the Doctor to no end, so he made sure to remind her to stay hydrated and try to eat nutritious foods. Still, she often craved chips. Not necessarily the healthiest thing, but the Doctor couldn't really stop her when he was away. Once Clara was done with her juice, she headed back out to the beach, put her hat and sunglasses back on, and laid down on her towel to read a book. A few hours later, Clara, with the Doctor's help, reapplied her sunblock. Then, she was off to the waters again and the Doctor was off to his anxiety. He knew that the fish in these waters were mostly small and of no threat to Clara, but what if a big one came along and attacked her? A saner person would say that the Doctor was being ridiculous, but there weren't any sane people who knew what he was thinking. When the sun began to set, Clara once again left the water. She walked over to the Doctor and smiled. "Thanks." she said. "I needed this."

　

She then gave him a peck on the cheek before, finally, she and the Doctor returned to the TARDIS. Though the Doctor had been a nervous wreck almost the entire time, he was pleased to see Clara so content. He reminded himself that stress wasn't good for Clara's pregnancy, and what she had done was a major stress-reducer. At least that was something. When they returned to Clara's flat, she turned to face the Doctor. She placed her hands on her hips and said, "I know that you were freaking out when we were at the beach, Doctor. You know, you shouldn't worry so much. It stresses you out and that stresses me out and me being stressed isn't good for the baby."

　

"Right." the Doctor said sheepishly. "Not good."

　

"Just keep calm and I'll be able to keep calm, all right?" Clara said with a smile.

　

The Doctor nodded. Clara walked back over to him and gave him a chaste kiss before leaving. After Clara left, the Doctor turned around and placed his hands on the edge of the console, leaning forward. He had to admit that Clara was right. He really did need to stop flying into borderline-panic every time Clara did something. It wasn't good for either of them. She was carrying his child. He had to be more considerate. Being considerate meant not stressing either of them out. He could do that. Well, he would try.

　

　

oooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 7

　

Life continued as usual. Clara kept to her job and went with the Doctor on Wednesdays, though he often showed up on other days as well. Wednesday was still their day, the day they went on some sort of trip. More often than not, the Doctor was taking Clara on trips that were safe to the point boring. Clara was growing frustrated. She wanted some adventure. Unfortunately, there was her pregnancy to think about. She was going to be somebody's mother. That was still difficult to believe.

　

Recently, they had taken a trip to a supposedly-safe Thurviglian forest. In the distance, Clara spotted a large, wrinkled, grey creature with odd bumps on its hide. "The Thurviglian Jorthax." the Doctor identified the creature.

　

"Is it dangerous?" Clara asked.

　

"Only if you scare it." the Doctor replied. "What you _really_ have to worry about are the cysts that drop off. They are highly aggressive and will attack anything that moves."

　

Clara clutched the Doctor's arm and asked, "Do they look like greenish-yellow globs with big mouths and sharp teeth?"

　

"That would be an accurate description." the Doctor replied.

　

"Oh." Clara said, fear creeping into her voice. "Well, there's six of them standing right behind you."

　

The Doctor immediately spun around, shoving Clara behind him. The cysts charged. The Time Lord grabbed his companion's hand and bolted. Clara, astoundingly enough, managed to keep up. This was probably out of fear, both for herself and for her unborn child. The TARDIS was less than a hundred feet away, but the cysts were gaining on the pair. Just a little further and they'd be safe in the TARDIS. Just a little further! Finally, they were there. The Doctor unlocked the door, swung it open, and shoved Clara in. He then entered the ship himself and slammed the door shut behind him. They could both hear the cysts slamming against the door. The Doctor dashed over to the console, pressing buttons and pulling levers a bit faster than usual. Finally, the ship left Thurviglia and went into the vortex. Clara let out a breath that she hadn't been aware that she was holding and slumped to the floor. In a voice that seemed barely restrained from shaking, the Doctor asked, "Clara, are you hurt?"

　

"No." Clara said. "I'm all right.

　

This normally would have been scary but exciting for both of them, but this was a bit more exciting and dangerous for Clara in her condition. She wasn't made of glass, but she had her pregnancy to worry about. In eight months or so, she was going to be somebody's mother. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Clara said, "I think I'm ready to go home now."

　

The Doctor couldn't help but agree.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 8

　

Clara had been carrying on as usual. She kept doing her relatively safe job, doing normal stuff at home, and struggling with her intense nausea and other pregnancy symptoms. Her newest craving was peach sandwiches on pumpernickel bread that were loaded with cheddar and mayonnaise. It sounded disgusting, but she absolutely needed it. The Doctor had been showing up nearly every day and nagged her about not eating healthy enough and how it wasn't good for her pregnancy and that she should rest more. Finally, she'd had enough. She kicked him out of her flat and told him that, instead of visiting every day, he should visit every _other_ day. She appreciated that the Doctor wanted to keep her safe, but did he really need to be so nosy and overprotective? Granted, Clara _was_ carrying his child, but was driving her insane with his constant presence really necessary? It wasn't like they were a couple or anything. They were just very, very fond of each other and would do just about anything for each other. Was there a word for that? It sure wasn't love. That would be crazy. Even if there were romantic feelings, she'd be damned if he didn't say those three words first.

　

Clara let out a sigh and leaned back into the sofa. She opened her book and flipped to the page on which she had last left off. This was the book that she had been reading the second time the Doctor had shown up, drugged out of his mind, and seduced her. Her face reddened a little at the heated memory. Speaking of the Doctor seducing her, he hadn't touched her since he had found out that she was pregnant. Clara let out a puff of air. Just because she was pregnant didn't mean that she was made out of sugar. She had needs- needs that weren't being met. Clara was frustrated in more than one way. She sighed and returned her attention back to her book. It was a romance. Romance was also something she was lacking in her life. For the time being, she was fine with that. Every time she tried dating, something went wrong. Danny had died. After Clara had started dating James, the Doctor had seduced her. Clara felt guilty about it, so she thought it would be the best thing to break up with James before he found out that she had cheated on him. She didn't know if he knew. He hadn't shown any sign of knowing at Alicia's wedding. He definitely didn't know that she was pregnant. The people at Clara's work knew that she was pregnant and her students had figured it out. Most of her friends had figured out that she was pregnant. The only people she knew, aside from James, who didn't know about her pregnancy were her family. Clara paused her reading and bit her lip nervously. She would have to tell them sooner or later. She would also have to tell them that the Doctor wasn't, in fact, James. She wasn't sure how well that would go over. All she knew was that she could expect drama.

　

A wheezing, grinding sound filled Clara's flat. The petite brunette marked her page, sat up, and set the book back down on the low table in front of her sofa. Almost immediately after the TARDIS had finished materializing, the door swung open and the Doctor popped his head out. "Clara!" He said. "I have something to show you."

　

Not budging from her spot on the sofa, Clara asked, "What is it?"

　

"You're still getting sick all day, every day, aren't you?" The Doctor asked.

　

"Of course I am." Clara said flatly. "Sometimes it feels like this baby doesn't want me to eat normal food."

　

"I've been to Milar III and-" the Doctor ducked back into the TARDIS for a minute or so before emerging with a small box. "-they have a remedy for morning sickness. Or daytime sickness, considering your vomiting isn't limited to mornings. Is it at night, too?"

　

Clara raised a hand and smacked her forehead. "Doctor, just tell me- does it work on humans?"

　

"I'm ninety-nine-point-seven-six percent certain that it will be safe for you." the Doctor replied.

　

"Good." Clara said. "Though I almost expected you to be worried about the remaining point-two-four percent."

　

The Doctor paused, seeming to think this over. Clara rolled her eyes and said, "Doctor, calm down. It's probably safe. I'll take the medicine."

　

Clara stood up and walked over to the Doctor. She tried to take it from him, but he was holding it pretty securely. It took Clara a few tugs to yank it free. She opened the box and saw several bottles of pills. She took one out and read the instructions. "Take one pill daily with food." Clara read out loud.

　

She immediately headed to her kitchen and took a few strawberries out of her refrigerator. She ate some of the fruit before popping a pill into her mouth and swallowing it down with some water. She looked back into the living room to see the Doctor just standing there. Finally, he asked, "What else do you need?"

　

Clara thought about it for a split second before she realized it: she knew what she wanted. Like any other woman, she had needs. Pregnant or not, she was going to have those needs fulfilled. She marched over to the Doctor, grabbed him by the front of his coat, and yanked him down to crush her mouth against his. Clara practically forced her tongue down his throat before withdrawing and backing away a little. A heated expression on her face, she said in a sultry tone, "I think you know what I need."

　

"Oh." the Doctor said. He then smirked and, in an amused tone, asked, "Is that all?"

　

"I have needs, you know." Clara informed the Doctor. "Womanly needs."

　

"Well, far be it from me to _deny_ those needs." the Doctor replied, his own voice lowering a bit.

　

"Well, it's high time that you attend to those needs, then." Clara said with a sultry smile.

　

Not giving the Doctor time to reply, she spun him around and, with surprising strength, shoved him down onto the sofa. She climbed on top of him, pinning him down. The rest of the evening was spent attending to Clara's womanly needs. It was very, very enjoyable for the both of them.

　


	4. Chapter 4: Please Don't Kill Him

Week 9

　

"Absolutely not!" the Doctor barked.

　

"Doctor, they're going to find out eventually." Clara said with her hands on her hips.

　

"Or," the Doctor said, "you could give birth and we could raise it without ever telling your family, especially that useless woman."

　

"Doctor..." Clara ground out.

　

"So I'm not doing it." the Doctor said, his face in one of his trademark scowls.

　

"Doctor, I want my family to be a part of my baby's life." Clara said with an annoyed sigh. "I _am_ going to tell them that I'm pregnant and _you_ are going to be there when I do."

　

"Give me a good reason why I'd have to go." the Doctor said, still scowling.

　

"Because you're the father of my child and you said you'd support me." Clara said. "Or are you going to back out on that?"

　

"No, I won't back out." the Doctor replied.

　

"Then you're going." Clara said, folding her arms over her chest. "If you don't go, I'm naming the baby after Linda if it's a girl. I'll also tell everyone you know about your ridiculous superhero underpants."

　

"Clara, that's blackmail!" the Doctor said loudly. He then narrowed his eyes and, in a lower voice, said, "You wouldn't."

　

"I would." Clara said calmly. "Do you really want to find out? Just come with me to tell my family. It won't kill you to introduce yourself."

　

The Doctor didn't say anything. He just folded his arms over his chest and scowled. Clara let out a sigh and said, "Come on, Doctor." She looked up at him, eyes wide as she formed her expression into 'the face'. "Please? Do it for me."

　

The Doctor groaned. He couldn't say no to 'the face'. He huffed and said, "Fine, but if that woman once again yammers into my ear enough to drive me nearly to the point of apoplexy, we're leaving."

　

Clara smiled and replied, "Deal."

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Two days later, Clara and the Doctor finally arrived at the home of Dave Oswald. Clara paused for a moment, glanced at the rather cross-looking Doctor, and then returned her attention to the door to ring the doorbell. The two of them waited for a short time before the door was answered by Clara's father. "Clara, you're here!" the man said with a grin. "We weren't expecting you so soon."

　

"We?" Clara questioned.

　

"Well, your boyfriend is here." Dave explained.

　

" _Boyfriend_?" the Doctor exclaimed.

　

"Yes, James is here." Dave then gestured to the Doctor. "Who is he?"

　

This time, Clara and the Doctor spoke at the same time.

　

"I can explain."

　

"I'm not her boyfriend."

　

"James explained everything." Dave said with surprising calm. "You two were taking a break and we were expecting you to bring a man, so you brought your friend here."

　

"Yeah." Clara said nervously. "That's it. But dad, I-"

　

Dave Oswald stepped to the side and said, "Come on in, you two."

　

Clara looked at the Doctor. The Doctor looked at Clara. Clara swallowed nervously before heading inside her father's home, the Doctor following close behind. They followed Clara's father to the living room, where he sat down on a comfortable-looking chair. Sitting on the sofa were James and Linda. Linda was chatting rather animatedly with him. She seemed to like him. Clara swallowed nervously and sat on the sofa. The only open spot was near James. The Doctor sat in a chair opposite from the one Dave Oswald was sitting in. James smiled and put his arm around Clara. The Doctor scowled deeply. James gave Clara a peck on the cheek. The Doctor was fuming. "Glad you're finally here, babe." the ginger man said with a smile. "Now we can finally talk to your family together, tell them our little surprise."

　

Clara laughed nervously and extracted herself from James' arm. "James, can we talk for a minute- in private?"

　

"Sure, babe." James said as he stood up.

　

Clara led James to the kitchen for some privacy. She exhaled loudly and said, "James, don't call me 'babe'. We're not together."

　

"I know that we're not together _right now_ ," James said, "but we can get back together. You kind of have to have someone. That-" James pointed at Clara's stomach. "- isn't going to stay a secret forever."

　

"That's what I came here to talk about." Clara said, a clear note of annoyance and a faint note of fear in her voice.

　

"Look, Clara, we can get back together." James said with a smile. "I'll even raise the kid as my own."

　

"You're not its father." Clara frowned.

　

"I know." James replied. "It's the old man, isn't it? Did you really think that your father would accept you being with a man _his own age_?"

　

"The Doctor and I," Clara paused. "we're not together."

　

"Be with me, then." James offered. "We could get married before the baby is born. I'll be a good husband. I'll be a good father. I have a nice house with a good-sized back yard. It's bigger than your flat and more suitable for raising a child in. Clara, don't you remember how happy we were before you left? Why _did_ you leave me?"

　

Clara was silent. She couldn't tell him. James smiled and placed a hand on Clara's shoulder. "Come on. Let's talk to your family." he said.

　

When they returned to the living room, Clara and James took their places on the sofa. The Doctor was still glaring at James. James took a deep breath and said, "Dave, Linda, Clara and I have something to tell you."

　

Clara smiled. This was finally going to get cleared up. He was going to tell her family that he wasn't her boyfriend. Sadly, this did not happen. "Clara and I are getting married!" James announced gleefully.

　

" _What_?" the dumbfounded Doctor barked, his eyes widening dramatically.

　

At the same time that the Doctor spoke, Dave Oswald said, "Wonderful! When is the wedding?"

　

"Well, we're going to have to step up the wedding a bit." James said. The Doctor looked like he was about ready to rip the ginger man's head off. James continued, "Because Clara and I are having a baby!"

　

Linda let out a squeal. Dave looked every bit the proud grandfather. Clara immediately said, "No, no, _no_!"

　

"Babe, what's wrong?" James asked.

　

"You know what's wrong!" Clara snapped. She turned to face her family and said, "It's not true. James and I broke up months ago."

　

"It was a moment of weakness, Dave." James said to Clara's father, placing his arm around Clara and holding her tightly. "Clara got pregnant and I'm trying to do the right thing."

　

"James, shut up!" Clara said angrily.

　

"Clara," James said, "don't worry. We'll raise the baby together."

　

 _All right, that's it!_ The Doctor sprang to his feet and stormed over to James. James, sensing a challenge, stood up straight. Though they were about the same height, the Time Lord still seemed to tower over the ginger human. "You," the Doctor snarled, "keep your hands off of her. You heard her say no and don't you dare think even for a fraction of a second that I'm going to let a bumbling monkey with the intelligence quotient of a tomato raise my child!"

　

"Listen here, you-" James tried to threaten the Doctor.

　

"Get out!" the Doctor barked.

　

"Clara and I-" James attempted to say

　

" _Get out_!" the Time Lord roared.

　

James, in a moment of clarity, did the smart thing. He fled. There was the sound of the door opening and slamming shut, followed by a car starting up and driving away. And it was back to the elephant in the room. All eyes were on Clara and the Doctor. Dave Oswald stood up and asked, "Clara, is this true?"

　

"Yes." Clara replied, nervous but determined. "He's my baby's father."

　

Dave's eyes narrowed. He did not turn his anger on Clara. Instead, he turned on the Doctor. "You," Dave growled, "You took advantage of my daughter!"

　

"Dad, he-" Clara began, but she was interrupted.

　

"I did no such thing." the Doctor said with a snort.

　

"You're _my own age_!" Dave barked. "You're obviously in a position of authority over her. You used your influence to seduce my daughter!"

　

"Authority?" the Doctor was annoyed. "She's a complete control freak."

　

Clara's father looked about ready to break the Doctor's neck. He took a menacing step towards the Time Lord. The Doctor actually paled a bit. This human meant business. "Dad, please don't kill him!" Clara pleaded. "I'm in my twenties. I can make my own decisions."

　

Dave paused for a moment. He kept glaring at the Doctor, but he spoke to Clara. "He said he's not your boyfriend." Dave said, frowning.

　

"I'm not her boyfriend." the Doctor admitted.

　

Dave gazed expectantly at the Doctor before asking, "What is she to you?"

　

The Doctor paused and said, "Your daughter is my friend."

　

Dave gave the Doctor the most serious look he could muster. Finally, Dave asked, "Do you love her?"

　

 _Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it_! Finally, the Doctor said, "I'm very fond of her."

　

He didn't say it. He wasn't going to say it. He would continue to force himself to live in strict denial. The Doctor was determined to do just that. Dave Oswald, however, seemed to see right through the Doctor, to see something that the Doctor would never admit. Dave did calm down a bit. Finally, Clara's father asked, "What's your name?"

　

"John Smith." the Doctor replied. "Everyone calls me the Doctor."

　

" _Another_ doctor, Clara?" Linda groaned. "This one had better not show up naked on Christmas."

　

The Time Lord scowled and said, "I'm not going to do _that_."

　

Dave gave a tired smile and said, "All right, then. Doctor, Clara, would either of you like to stay for supper? It's stew. It's on the stove right now."

　

Clara inhaled deeply, taking in the fragrant aroma of the stew- and promptly rushed to the lavatory to throw up. Dave looked at the Doctor and glared at him but said nothing. The Doctor did what he often did, now that he knew he was safe. He ignored the glare. It seemed, the Doctor thought, that the pills weren't working anymore.

　

Clara decided that she would eat on the TARDIS.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 10

　

Clara was nervous. She was eating healthy, she was taking her prenatal vitamins, and, from what she had read, she would soon have to have her first ultrasound. She knew that ultrasounds were safe and had been used for the past thirty years, but she had other things to worry about. Namely, the fact that the baby was half alien. If signs of that showed up on the ultrasound, that would probably raise a few questions. Still, she wanted to know if her baby was healthy and developing properly. Would she be able to see a doctor on Earth or would she have to go to some alien hospital? Would there be anyone who knew a lot about human hybrid pregnancies? Clara let out a groan and buried her face in her hands. The Doctor, who was standing nearby, seemed to notice this. "You're worrying again." the Time Lord said before asking, "What is it this time?"

　

"In a week or two, I'm going to have to get an ultrasound." Clara confessed. "Only I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Is it safe to go to an Earth hospital or would I have to go to some alien hospital? I just want to know if my baby is okay."

　

"Or," the Doctor suggested, "You could get a scan here, onboard the TARDIS."

　

"She can do that?" Clara questioned.

　

"That she can." the Doctor replied. "We can do it now if you'd like."

　

"That would be wonderful." Clara said, still nervous but eager to find out.

　

The Doctor led Clara to the infirmary. He took some sort of gizmo and ran it over Clara's body. Seconds later, an image of her internal functionings was projected. One of the things that she could see was the developing fetus. "Is that-?" she asked.

　

"That's it." the Doctor confirmed.

　

Once they got a good look at it, Clara and could see their unborn child's heart beating rapidly. Or rather, hearts. Like its father, it had two hearts. Clara swallowed nervously before asking, "Is it healthy? Is it a boy or a girl?"

　

"It's very healthy, but it's too soon to tell what the sex is." the Doctor said. His voice softened slightly as he continued, "It's more than just healthy. I'm fairly sure that it's..."

　

Clara looked at the image and finished the Doctor's sentence. "... It's perfect."

　

The Doctor was too busy focusing on the image of his developing offspring to notice that he had reached down and taken Clara's hand in his. He gave it a gentle squeeze. Without hesitation, Clara squeezed back. Clara wasn't sure how long she lay there, holding the Doctor's hand, but eventually she became aware of music playing in the background. It was the TARDIS again. She was playing a Michael Bolton song- _That's What Love Is All About_. It was inappropriate, but at the moment, neither Clara nor the Doctor seemed to care.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 11

　

Life went on, but Clara was still giddy over seeing that scan last week. She had been so very relieved to find out that her baby was completely healthy. So, Clara kept doing what she was doing: taking prenatal vitamins and eating properly. Well, she did have cravings for unhealthy foods sometimes. That explained her craving for deep-fried chocolate bars. She had to search the internet for a recipe so she could make some herself. It hadn't taken her long to get the hang of it. She was finishing one up at the very moment. After she swallowed the last bite, she licked the remains off her fingers before washing her hands. Clara sighed and placed a hand on her abdomen. Her clothes really were getting rather tight. She would have to get some new ones soon. She seriously doubted that the Doctor would enjoy taking her out and shopping for new clothes. Clara pictured the Doctor carrying a mountain of bags with his trademark scowl on his face. She couldn't help but giggle a little. So, she decided that she would try to see if someone else would go with her. Whipping out her mobile, Clara began to search for a specific number before calling it. "Hello?" a female voice answered.

　

"Alicia, it's Clara." Clara announced who she was.

　

"Oh, Clara!" Alicia said happily, "How are you doing?"

　

"I'm doing great." Clara replied. "I need some new clothes."

　

"Maternity?" Alicia questioned.

　

"No, I'm still too small for that." Clara said with a laugh. "Regular clothes, just something a bit bigger. This baby isn't getting any smaller."

　

"How far along are you, anyway?" Alicia asked.

　

"About eleven weeks." Clara answered. "I need to go shopping. Want to go with me?"

　

"Sure!" Alicia said. "I'll see you at noon! Bye!"

　

"Bye, Alicia." Clara bid her farewell before ending the call.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

True to their arrangement, Clara and Alicia met at noon. Then, they were off to the shops. The two of them spent all day looking at clothes. Clara did buy several new outfits. Alicia bought a few outfits as well. When they were done, both women were loaded down with full bags. As they were passing by a place, Clara noticed a discount DVD bin. She decided to peruse it a bit. After a while, she selected one: a film called _Ghost_. Her American friend from university had told her good things about the film. The summary on the back of the case was covered by a price sticker, so she couldn't really read it. She would have to see what it was about when she watched it. Clara would watch it when she got home, or onboard the TARDIS. Wherever she had it with her at the time. Maybe the Doctor would watch it with her. It had been a while since they had watched a film together. She rather looked forward to it.

　

　


	5. Chapter 5: A Night In

Week 12

　

It had been a week since Clara had purchased the DVD and she was determined to watch it with the Doctor. She knew how stubborn he was, but she would get him to do it. She had heard that it was a good movie and she wanted to watch it with her best friend. She would do it. Nothing would stop her. With a determined look on her face, she marched into the TARDIS' console room. "Doctor!" she called out.

　

The Time Lord moved around from the other side of the time rotor and asked, "What?"

　

"Let's watch _Ghost_ together." Clara suggested.

　

"Hmm, let me think." the Doctor said sarcastically. "No."

　

"Doctor, I haven't seen it." Clara said before asking, "Have you seen it?"

　

"No." the Doctor replied.

　

"Then let's watch it." Clara said with a hopeful smile.

　

"I know what it's about and I'm not going to watch it." the Doctor insisted.

　

"No spoilers, then." Clara said, keeping her voice calm. "I don't want to know what happens before _we_ watch it."

　

"I'm not going to watch it." the Doctor said, still insistent.

　

"Do you have anything better to do than to watch _Ghost_ with me?" Clara asked.

　

"I have a thing to fix." the Doctor lied.

　

Clara raised a brow and gave him a look. It wasn't _the_ look, but it was still a look. "Do you?" Clara asked.

　

It was like she could see right through him. Finally, the Doctor's shoulders slumped and he said, "No."

　

"All right, then." Clara said cheerfully. "I'll see you in the common room."

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

When the Doctor arrived in the common room, Clara was already putting the DVD into the player. She sat down on the couch and the Doctor sat down next to her. The film began to play. The Doctor began to snark. He was complaining the entire time, utilizing sarcasm and trying to ignore the warm feeling that he got when Clara started leaning into him. Eventually, the Doctor did shut up and put his arm around his companion. When the Righteous Brothers' _Unchained Melody_ started playing, the Doctor hazarded a glance at Clara. She looked up at him. Their eyes met. Something strange passed between them. The Doctor brought a hand to Clara's cheek and cupped her face. Clara closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Slowly, the Doctor began to lower his face to Clara's. Closer and closer he came until, at last, their lips met. The Doctor held Clara's head and tilted it ever so slightly so he could deepen the kiss. Clara buried her fingers in his curls and gently dragged her nails over his scalp. The Doctor moaned softly into her mouth. Clara broke away to catch her breath. She looked at the Doctor with an expression of want and some other emotion that neither were willing to put a name to. Clara then moved over to climb onto the Time Lord's lap. She then brought her mouth back onto his. His tongue slid into her mouth, sliding it over hers with gentle strokes. Clara let out a pleased sigh into the Doctor's mouth. After what felt like a pleasant eternity to Clara, the Doctor pulled back. He didn't push her away. Instead, he kissed his way down her jaw before running his lips down her neck. Clara tilted her head to allow him better access. Clara, once again, had her fingers buried in the Doctor's hair. Slowly, tenderly, the Time Lord slid his hands down his companion's body before resting them on her hips. He brought his mouth back up to Clara's and kissed her again. When their faces separated, there was arousal between them, but there was something else. It was something they didn't want to put words to. It was something that they both were in strict denial of. Silently, Clara took the Doctor's hand and guided under her skirt, between her legs. He could feel the dampness of her arousal even through the fabric of her knickers. He inhaled sharply. Slowly, he slid the undergarments aside before running a long, experienced finger over Clara's sex. He could feel how wet she was for him. He guided his fingers through her folds before finally settling his fingers on the nub that could lead her to the heights of pleasure. He began to gently rub circles over it. Clara let out a soft moan and buried her face in the Doctor's chest. As he continued to touch her, to please her, he felt himself hardening. Clara felt it, too. She removed the Doctor's hand from her moistened folds and looked him in the eyes. "Want you." she breathed.

　

The Time Lord nodded. Clara reached down and began to unbuckle the Doctor's belt. Once that was out of the way, she unbuttoned his trousers and slid down his fly, freeing his hardened length. "You're not wearing-" Clara whispered.

　

"I was too busy." the Doctor provided.

　

Clara let out a gentle laugh and moved over him. Hovering above him for a moment, she slid her knickers aside before lowering herself onto him. They both let out pleased groans. Clara then began to move. Up and down she went, letting out a series of soft moans as she rode him. Eventually, the Doctor placed his hands on her hips and began to direct the rhythm of their movements. When the pace increased, Clara closed here eyes in pleasure. Slowly, she felt the pressure creep up on her. The soft cries that she was making increased in volume and frequency. Her eyes were clenched shut. Suddenly, the Doctor's voice broke through the haze of her pleasure. "Open your eyes." he instructed.

　

Clara obediently opened her eyes and her gaze met his. Their eyes locked, never looking away as the Doctor thrust his hips up into Clara. The petite brunette moved her hands up to set them on the Doctor's chest. She could feel his hearts beating. They were both getting closer. They both could feel it. When they finally climaxed, they came together, Clara's inner muscles clenching around the Doctor's length as he emptied himself inside her. Clara collapsed bonelessly into the Doctor's chest. They sat there in blissful silence. The only sound was their breathing and the film playing in the background. Clara was the first person to speak. "Wow." she said softly.

　

"Wow." the Doctor echoed as he ran his fingers through Clara's hair.

　

Neither of the two would say it, but it had happened again, this time in front of the telly. They had just made love for the second time.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 13

　

Clara was nearing the end of her first trimester and her morning sickness showed no sign of abating. She had spoken to other women on the internet and, apparently, some women suffered from morning sickness throughout their entire pregnancy. Clara hoped, prayed, that she would not be one of those women. And then there were the cravings, which were completely insane. She couldn't keep down some of the things that she liked and she was sometimes hungry for the strangest of things. Most of the time they were foods from Earth, but occasionally she and the Doctor had to make a trip to another planet. He was trying to be considerate. He was often still very rude, but he was trying. Clara did appreciate that.

　

What Clara didn't appreciate, however, were the emails she had started getting. They were obsessive, very sexual in nature, and just a little bit threatening. They were creepy and an annoying, but she figured that it was probably someone in another part of the world. She didn't feel threatened. She never mentioned it to the Doctor since it didn't seem important. Clara had more important things to focus on, like her job and the general goings-on of her everyday life, not to mention trying to keep her baby healthy. There was also the matter of the Doctor driving her crazy. He was sometimes rather sweet, but it could be so frustrating when he was rude or said something stupid. Still, Clara cared about him a great deal. He was a genuine pain in the behind sometimes, but she wouldn't change him for the world. Probably. Letting out a sigh, Clara finished typing down a reply to her most recent email. It was so blunt and sarcastic that it was almost Doctor-esque. She might as well be straightforward this time. She sent the email and closed the tab that her inbox had been displayed in. Clara glanced down at her stomach and gave it a fond pat. She smiled and commented, "No one's going to mess with mummy, huh?"

　

She was still worried that she might not be a good mother, but the only option she was really open to was to try her hardest not to mess her child up. Of course, she probably wouldn't be able to prevent it if her child turned out to be a bit strange. Considering who its father was, a little strangeness might be unavoidable. The more she thought about it, the more that she realized that, oddly enough, she didn't really mind the idea of her child being a bit strange. Its parents were the Doctor and the impossible girl, Clara Oswald. Clara didn't know what the future would bring, but she did know that her child would prove to be very unique. It might not be normal, but normal was a subjective term anyway. Clara felt her stomach grumble and another intense craving hit. "I know, I know." she sighed.

　

Clara headed to her kitchen and searched through her cupboards and refrigerator before selecting a few things. She stared balefully at the items on the counter before letting out a sigh and saying, "Peanut butter and liverwurst it is, then."

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 14

　

Clara was definitely starting to show, the Doctor thought, as his companion attempted to button her blouse over the slight bump on her abdomen. It wasn't super obvious, but it was visible. Clara let out a groan before giving up and heading off to select another top. She picked out a green blouse with an empire waist. Whatever Clara wore, the Doctor didn't really mind. She would always look the same to him. Well, he thought, not totally the same. Her body was changing, preparing her for impending motherhood. It was really rather fascinating, almost beautiful. Something pleased the Doctor about seeing Clara grow larger with their developing offspring. He just needed to stop reminding her of her weight gain. He often forgot that human females were touchy about that sort of thing. It was a bit ridiculous, really. Honestly, he would be more worried if she _wasn't_ gaining weight. She hadn't yet gained a lot of weight but, well, she would probably gain a _lot_ more weight as her pregnancy progressed. The Doctor knew that things would get even stranger for Clara. They were strange for him. Fairly disgusting, too. Clara had vomited on him on three separate occasions. Goo from alien creatures was one thing, but _Clara's_ vomit? That was just a bit more disgusting to him for some reason. It probably had something to do with the fact that he knew her. He knew her very, very well. He knew that life was nothing like it was on the telly, but something told him that when Clara did go into labor, she would curse his name. It hadn't really been his fault. Well, it sort of was. He was careless- they both were- but it was only because neither of them thought that they were compatible. Their assumptions had been proven wrong by a very heavy dose of reality. He thought that he had learned to expect the unexpected, but now look where they were: six short months away from becoming parents. Irony could be very painful sometimes. Still, now that he thought about it, he wouldn't really change anything. He had adjusted to the idea. Now all he had to do was not panic. He was determined to keep Clara safe and he would keep a straight head on his shoulders. He would- wait, what was she doing? The Doctor watched as Clara climbed up a ladder in the library. Even at the top, she still couldn't quite reach the book she wanted. She stood up on tip-toe and the Doctor became aggressively paranoid. He hovered under the ladder as Clara removed the book from the shelf. It was all that he could do not to let out a sigh of relief and frustration when she safely descended. Could his nerves really take six more months of this?

　

The Doctor walked over to the sofa and slumped down onto it. Clara quickly joined him on the sofa before opening her book and beginning to read it. At least reading was a nice, safe activity. When Clara leaned into his side, the Doctor felt that fluttering sensation in his belly again. 'Butterflies in the stomach' was what humans called it. It was a ridiculous name, but it was oddly suiting. Then the TARDIS was at it again- she was playing Peter Frampton's _Baby, I Love Your Way_. Inappropriate. The Doctor knew that the timeship was planning something, but he didn't know what it was. The TARDIS had mentioned something about 'shipping'. The Doctor didn't know what she had meant by that and he hated it when his ship conspired against him. Still, once the ship got an idea to do something, it was hard to dissuade her. Really, the only option the Doctor had was to figure out what the TARDIS was planning. Knowing the way things were, the answer was probably right in front of him.


	6. Chapter 6: Meeting The Uncle

Week 15

　

Clara was definitely getting bigger and she definitely needed some new clothes. So, there she was, shopping for them. She was going through various articles of clothing. Why did it seem that none of the cute stuff was the right size? There wasn't even a lot of cute things. She let out a sigh. Soon she would be forced to wear hideous maternity clothes. She didn't look forward to that. She would have to be happy wearing cute clothes for as long as she could. She was terribly short on clothes that fit her comfortably. This was a less than ideal situation. Clara turned to look at the rack behind her and almost jumped in surprise when she saw a familiar grey-haired Time Lord standing behind her. How had he gotten there so quietly? "Doctor!" Clara gasped. "What are you doing here?"

　

"I have something to show you." the Doctor replied.

　

"It's not one of those alien morning sickness remedies, is it?" Clara asked with a groan. "The first one stopped working, the second one turned my toes orange, the third one made everything I ate taste like boiled cabbage, and I couldn't keep the last one down."

　

"The last thing I've been thinking about is your vomiting, Clara." the Doctor said.

　

"That isn't a priority for you _at all_?" Clara questioned, slightly irritated.

　

"I got distracted." the Doctor defended himself.

　

"Doctor, you're always getting distracted!" Clara groaned, "If our child is anything like you, he or she will have the attention span of a goldfish."

　

"I don't have a short attention span." the Doctor replied. "One doesn't need a short attention span to get distracted."

　

"Look." Clara said tersely. "I'm not having a good day. I own exactly two tops that fit me comfortably and one of them is in the wash because I was sick on it earlier! Is this a life or death situation or can it wait until later?"

　

The Doctor frowned and said grumpily, "It can wait."

　

It was then that Clara noticed the bandage on the Doctor's right hand. "Doctor, what happened to you hand?" Clara asked, but it was too late. The Doctor was already walking away.

　

Clara sighed. The Doctor was so weird sometimes. "Weird, weird, and getting weirder every day." Clara muttered under her breath.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

The Doctor was rather irritated at being snubbed by Clara. He turned to navigate his way out of the store. As he was passing through the electronics section, he noticed that Clara was chatting with a tall, sandy-haired human who would probably be considered attractive by human standards. The human male was clearly flirting with Clara. That irritated the Doctor. What really made him mad was that Clara actually seemed receptive to the human male's advances. When the duo headed around the shelf and were out of sight, the Doctor plucked a random item from the shelf and placed it inside the man's reusable cloth bag. With that done, the Doctor left to head to the store's exit. He was rather smug at the fact that he would punish the stupid human male for daring to flirt with his impossible girl. The Doctor considered his right hand. He had been working hard on a special project. While he was working on his project, he had injured his hand. The injury was bad enough that he had needed stitches. Still, the project would be worth it. He was certain that Clara would be happy when she found out about it. He had done it for her and for their child. He didn't love Clara, but she was still special to him. She was his best friend and would soon be the mother of his child. He absolutely could not let some useless human male take her away from him.

　

As the Doctor waited near the store's exit, there was suddenly the sound of an alert that someone was shoplifting. The Doctor watched smugly as the human male was escorted away by security. That would teach him to not try to take the Doctor's impossible girl away from him. A faint smirk on his face, the Time Lord left the store.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Clara was a bit surprised when Brian was taken away for shoplifting. He had seemed like an honest guy. Letting out a sigh, Clara hauled her bags out of the store. It would be easier if someone were to help her with the bags since they were rather heavy, but she could do it. As she left the store, Clara noticed the Doctor leaning nonchalantly against the building. Clara raised a brow. What was he still doing here? Clara decided to approach him. She walked over to the Time Lord and asked, "Doctor, what are you doing?"

　

"Loitering." the Doctor replied nonchalantly.

　

"Loitering?" Clara questioned, clearly suspicious. "All right, what have you done?"

　

"I haven't done anything." the Doctor replied, the very picture of innocence. "Do you need help with your bags?"

  
Oh, he had _definitely_ done something. Still, the bags were getting heavy. "You can hold my bags while I call for a ride." Clara said firmly.

　

"Or," the Doctor said, "I could take you in the TARDIS."

　

Clara was suspicious and couldn't help wondering what the Doctor had done for him to be this helpful. She adjusted her position to haul the bags back up a bit. She thought about it for a moment before finally handing the bags over to the Doctor. He then led her in the direction of the TARDIS. Once they were inside, the Doctor gracelessly set Clara's bags on the ground. Clara glared at him for being less than careful with her purchased items. Fortunately, she didn't have anything breakable in her bags. Clara sighed and went over to the seat to sit down. Absent-mindedly, she rubbed her belly. At least she got some cute clothes that fit. She wanted to dress nicely while she still could. Clara glanced over at the Doctor. She doubted that he would really care what she wore. At least that was a good thing.

　

oooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 16

　

The Doctor had asked Clara where she wanted to go. Preferably someplace safe. To his relief and surprise, she had told him that she wanted to see something from Earth for once. How horribly boring. Still, he would think of something. What was something mundane but pleasing that Clara might like to watch? He paused for a moment. A thousand ideas ran through his mind before, finally, he settled on one. When he pictured the look on Clara's face, he couldn't help but smile. He went around the console, pressing buttons and pulling levers. When he arrived at Clara's flat, he opened the TARDIS' door, searched for Clara, took her by the hand, and started pulling her in the direction of the time-ship. Clara dug her feet in and said, "Doctor, what the _hell_?"

　

The Doctor stopped and turned to face Clara, though he did not let go of her hand. "You wanted to see a thing from Earth. I found a thing. Let's go." the Doctor said, trying not to let his eagerness show.

　

"Oh." Clara said simply. "You could have said that _before_ you started dragging me."

　

The Doctor paused. That actually hadn't occurred to him. "Well, let's go, then." the Time Lord said as he tried to lead Clara to the TARDIS.

　

Thankfully, Clara cooperated. Once they were both inside, the Doctor once more put a set of coordinates in before pulling levers and pressing buttons. When they arrived, the Doctor pulled a clean handkerchief out of a pocket and began to walk towards Clara. Clara crossed her hands over her chest and asked, "Doctor, what are you doing?"

　

"Cover your eyes." the Doctor said. "It's a surprise."

　

"You know I don't like surprises, Doctor." Clara said with a groan.

　

"You'll like this one." the Doctor insisted. "Trust me."

　

Clara gave the Doctor a long, hard look before finally saying, "Fine."

　

Clara took the handkerchief from the Doctor and blindfolded herself with it. She then allowed the Doctor to take her hand and lead her out of the TARDIS. She couldn't see much through the blindfold, but she could tell that it was darker outside. She could also hear insects chirping in the night. She could smell the wildness and seclusion of this place. "Where are we?" Clara asked.

　

"The Appalachian Mountains." the Doctor replied. "Somewhere in Tennessee, to be specific."

　

"All right, now I know where we are." Clara said, half annoyed and half amused. "Now the question remains as to _why_."

　

"You'll find out in a minute." the Doctor replied.

　

The Doctor guided Clara down to a sitting position in the ground. They sat there for a minute or so before the Doctor removed the blindfold. Clara looked around. Then she looked up. The stars were some of the clearest she'd ever seen from Earth, but it wasn't anything spectacular. "Nothing's happen-" she tried to say, but the Doctor quieted her with a 'shush'.

　

Clara glared at the Doctor and was about to say something when the Time Lord looked up and said, "It's starting."

　

Clara looked up to see a meteor sending a streak across the sky as it burned up in Earth's atmosphere. Another one appeared, and then another one, followed by another one. It was a meteor shower. Clara had seen meteor showers before, but this one was quite spectacular.

　

The Doctor hazarded a glance at Clara and saw the stars reflected in her eyes. He was entranced. She was so beautiful. When the meteor shower was over, Clara looked at him and smiled. Softly, she said, "Thank you, Doctor."

　

Still entranced by Clara's eyes, the Doctor leaned towards her, lowering his face to hers until, finally their lips touched. He had meant for it to be a brief, chaste kiss, but things sort of got away from him when Clara kissed him back. The lip-lock became more passionate and the Doctor carded his fingers through Clara's hair. Hands drifted across bodies. Clothes were shed. They both let out loud breaths as hands met bare skin. Holding each other in a tender embrace, they made love under the Tennessee sky.

　

Afterwards, they were a sated, content pile of intertwined naked limbs. The Doctor nuzzled the top of Clara's head. Clara laughed softly and said, "I don't suppose you brought me here with specific plans to have your way with me, did you?"

　

The Doctor smirked into Clara's hair and said, "I will neither confirm nor deny that accusation."

　

They laid there for several hours, taking comfort in each other's presence as they stared up at the night sky. It was nearly dawn when they separated and put their clothes back on. They shared a smile before heading back in the TARDIS to return to Clara's flat.

　

A short while after they parted ways, both Clara and the Doctor got an itchy surprise when they found that they were both covered from head to toe in chigger bites.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 17

　

Once again, the Doctor had taken Clara to someplace on earth. He had planned on showing her some flowers, despite her insistence that she didn't need to see flowers. He wasn't sure why he was showing her flowers. It wasn't like he was wooing her or anything, but here they were, searching for things of beauty in an Amazonian rain forest. Clara placed her hands on her hips and turned to face the Doctor. She smiled wryly and said, "All right, Doctor, I'll admit it: this was a pretty good idea."

　

"I told you it would be." the Doctor said smugly. "Females of most species love flowers."

  
"That is gender profiling, Doctor, and not necessarily correct." Clara scolded.

　

" _Do you_ like flowers?" the Doctor asked, raising a brow.

　

Clara sighed and said, "Yes, I like flowers."

　

The smug expression once again appeared on the Doctor's face. Clara rolled her eyes before glancing around at the various plants around them. "Are you sure we won't get lost?" Clara asked.

　

"As a Time Lord, I have a superior sense of direction." The Doctor replied, somewhat affronted.

　

"Do I need to list all the times you got us lost?" Clara questioned.

　

"We won't get lost in this place!" the Doctor insisted.

　

Clara rolled her eyes and leaned in to examine a particularly lovely flower when, suddenly, there was a sound. The Doctor reacted quickly, placing himself between Clara and the sound. "Show yourself!" the Doctor barked.

　

The sounds stopped before resuming. As the sounds grew closer, a strangely familiar voice called out, "Fine, you caught me. Now you can go away."

　

The foliage parted, revealing a man in tattered clothes. He had shoulder-length brown hair and a rather unkempt-looking beard. The man folded his arms over his chest and said, "You heard me. Get lost and don't tell anyone you found me. I'm trying to _avoid_ people, for crying out loud!"

　

It was then that the Doctor realized where he had heard that voice and who it belonged to. He was a little surprised to meet that person in Brazil, of all places, and looking so unkempt to boot. The Doctor's eyes widened as he said, " _Jack_?"

　

Jack narrowed his eyes and said, "You seem to know me. Have we banged before?"

　

"Harkness!" the Doctor growled.

　

"I recognize that grumpiness!" Jack declared before asking, "Doc, is that you?"

　

"Who is he?" Clara asked.

　

"Clara, this is Jack Harkness." the Doctor introduced them. "Jack Harkness, meet Clara Oswald."

　

Jack took Clara's hand and lifted it, preparing to touch it to his lips in a gentlemanly fashion. It was then that he seemed to notice Clara's baby bump. He froze and stared at it for a second. He then glanced up at the Doctor, back at Clara, and then at the Doctor again. "No way." he whispered.

　

"Harkness..." the Doctor ground out.

　

Jack then burst into laughter. He was nearly out of breath when he managed to get it back under control. "I can't believe you, Doctor!" he cried, "You lectured _me_ about the possibility of accidentally getting someone pregnant and _you_ end up knocking one of your companions up!"

　

"That's not really any of your business." Clara said tersely, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

　

Jack chuckled once again before gesturing towards Clara's abdomen and saying, "So, mind explaining that?"

　

Clara let out a sigh and said. "We thought we were incompatible. Apparently, we were wrong."

　

"Hmm." Jack said thoughtfully. "I suppose I can't blame you for wanting to sleep with this sexy silver fox."

　

The Doctor groaned and buried his face in his palm. Even with this older face, Jack still said those sorts of things about him. "Well," Jack said sincerely, "It is good to see you again, Doc. Not really much to keep me company here but various large, dangerous mammals and venomous snakes."

　

The Doctor froze. He had forgotten about the large, dangerous mammals and venomous snakes. He took Clara's hand and said, "Clara, we're going back to the TARDIS."

　

"Doctor, can't we just keep looking at the sights?" Clara asked.

　

" _Venomous snakes_ , Clara." the Doctor said, annoyance clear in his voice. "You're human. You're pregnant. It's best if we return to the TARDIS."

　

Clara rolled her eyes and said, "Fine."

　

The impossible girl then allowed the Doctor to start leading her back in the direction of the TARDIS. Suddenly, Jack called out, "Wait!"

　

Clara stopped and looked back at Jack. The bearded man looked pleadingly at them and said, "Take me with you!"

　

"Why should we?" the Doctor asked.

　

"I have nothing to stay here for, Doctor." Jack replied. "Look, I'll carry my weight. I'll make coffee. I'll keep my pants on when I'm not in my room. I'll shave my beard. Hell, I'll even cook!"

　

"You'll cook?" the Doctor questioned.

　

"I can cook a lot of things." Jack said with a smile, "Pancakes, fried chicken, paella, cake-"

　

"All right, you can come." the Doctor said abruptly. He had him at 'cake'.

　

"Wonderful!" Jack declared, clasping his hands together.

　

"You can come along." the Doctor elaborated. "But you have to cook decent food and keep your trousers on at all times."

　

"Can do, Doc!" Jack replied. "I'll show you my excellent cooking and try my hardest to keep my pants on."

　

The Doctor sighed. He supposed that was the best he could expect from Jack Harkness. As the Doctor and Clara began to walk away, Jack stepped between them, putting one arm over their shoulders. Jack smiled and said, "I have the feeling that this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."


	7. Chapter 7: Movement

Week 18

　

Clara was beginning to grow used to Jack Harkness when she encountered him on the Doctor's visits. Jack was a complete flirt, but it was fairly obvious that it was more of a friendly thing and not really an attempt to get Clara into bed with him. Or the Doctor into bed with him. Jack didn't seem picky. There was a lot of yelling, though. Still, Clara was starting to like Jack. For all his annoying behavior, the captain was rather charming. He would look better without the moustache, though, and she wasn't sure how she felt about the shoulder-length hair. They weren't there yet, but Clara and Jack were quickly heading in the direction of friendship. Jack was very excited about Clara's pregnancy and still insisted that he would be 'Uncle Jack'. Clara had stopped telling him that he wouldn't. It was a waste of time and energy. Clara let out a sigh. After a long day at work, she was tired. She knew that the Doctor would come pick her up. He had insisted. None of her friends could give her a ride that day. One of her friends would give her a ride the next day. It was probably best that the Doctor didn't know that she was still receiving those threatening emails. He had been so overprotective since finding out that she was pregnant. The person sending those emails was probably someone from another part of the world who thought it was funny to harass people. It was annoying, but it was nothing to worry about. So she didn't tell. It didn't seem important. She was broken from her thoughts by a familiar male voice greeting her. "Hiya, Clara!"

　

Clara jumped slightly. When she saw who it was, she relaxed. It was only Jack. She really wished that he wouldn't sneak up on her like that. "Hello, Jack." Clara greeted him before asking, "What are you doing here?"

　

"Doc had a thing to fix." Jack replied. "He sent me to escort you to the TARDIS."

　

Clara was a bit surprised. The Doctor must have really trusted Jack if he trusted him to escort her to the TARDIS. "All right." Clara said, picking up her handbag. "Let's go, then."

　

Jack offered his arm in a rather gentlemanly gesture. Clara rolled her eyes and took his arm in hers. "So," Jack began, "How was work?"

　

"Uneventful." Clara replied. "One or two of the students decided to misbehave, but no more so than usual."

　

There was also the fact that one of the more conservative staff members at the school had directly implied that Clara slept around and that she should 'do the responsible thing' by marrying whoever had impregnated her, but it would probably be better if neither Jack nor the Doctor knew about that. Clara would deal with that problem on her own. As for what the other teacher had suggested, Clara couldn't help but roll her eyes. Her, marry the Doctor? As if! The concept was almost laughable. She wasn't even romantically involved with the Doctor, no matter how wonderful he had been over the past thirteen weeks. No, she didn't love him and he didn't love her. Things would never evolve beyond a best friends with benefits situation. She would continue to live in strict denial. Nope. She didn't love him. As such, she would never say a certain set of three words. She especially wouldn't say them if the Doctor didn't say them first. Clara needed him to be sure before she was sure. She was broken from her thoughts by Jack saying, "Thinking about the Doctor, I assume?"

　

"No, not really." Clara lied.

　

"What were you thinking about, then?" Jack asked, raising a brow and not really believing her.

　

"Chips." Clara lied. "I'm suddenly getting a really strong craving for them."

　

"We could stop and get some, then." Jack suggested. "Doc would have my balls if he found out that I didn't get you food when you were hungry."

　

"Good." Clara replied. "Though it would probably be best if the Doctor didn't know that I was eating chips. He's really been on me lately about eating healthier. I do eat healthy."

　

Well, when she wasn't craving something unhealthy, that is. She recalled a few days ago when she craved a chocolate sundae with crisps on top. It was surprisingly good. Even the Doctor and Jack had tried some, though Clara had threatened to carve Jack's testicles off with a spoon when he tried to take more. Needless to say, he made his own chocolate and crisps sundae. Maybe it was the hormones that made Clara threaten people so much. Sometimes she was rather grouchy. It probably was the hormones. The next twenty-two weeks wouldn't come soon enough. Jack and Clara did stop for chips. They really did hit the spot. Clara hadn't known that she really was hungry for chips until she had put one into her mouth. She quickly wolfed them down after that, much to Jack's amusement. When they were done, Clara sighed and rested a hand on her bulging abdomen. "You are always making me hungry." She grumbled affectionately to her unborn child.

　

"Are you _sure_ that you won't name it Jack if it's a boy?" Jack asked teasingly.

　

Clara snorted and said, "One Jack in my life is enough."

　

"Whatever you name it," Jack said with a smile, "I'm still going to be the fun uncle."

　

"It doesn't have any uncles." Clara said, rolling her eyes.

　

"All the more reason for me to be its uncle." Jack replied. "I'm already Captain Jack Harkness. Imagine if I was also _Uncle_ Jack Harkness."

　

"Uncle Jack Harkness?" Clara questioned skeptically

　

"Come on, you wouldn't say no to this face, would you?" Jack asked, making his expression as wide-eyed and pleading as he could.

　

Clara laughed and said, "Jack, I am the _master_ of the 'sad puppy face'. It won't work on me."

　

"Aww." Jack pouted. "Please?"

　

Clara rolled her eyes and smiled. "Fine." she said. "You can be Uncle Jack Harkness."

　

Jack's face lit up. He grinned suavely and said, "I knew you'd see things my way."

　

"Whatever you say, _Uncle Jack_." Clara said with another roll of her eyes. "Something tells me that the Doctor is going to be absolutely _thrilled_."

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

"You _what_?" the Doctor barked.

　

"I told him that he could be Uncle Jack Harkness." Clara replied calmly.

　

"Uncle Jack Harkness." the Doctor groaned. "I'll never hear the end of this."

　

"Doctor, it isn't so bad." Clara said, trying to comfort the father of her child.

　

"Don't you know?" the Doctor asked with another groan, "He'll be insufferably proud of himself for _at least a week_!"

　

"Doctor, it's not going to hurt anyone." Clara said with a half-frown.

　

"You should have consulted me on this." the Doctor said, scowling.

　

"I would have thought about it." Clara explained. "You would have just said no."

　

"And here we are." the Doctor said with an annoyed sigh. "You've made him a part of our child's life. He's even less likely to go away now."

　

"Doctor, you don't dislike Jack _that_ much, do you?" Clara asked.

　

"I don't dislike the man." The Doctor replied, still frowning. "I just wish that you had asked me first."

　

"Like I said, you wouldn't have even considered it." Clara said, also frowning.

　

"That's because it's a stupid idea." The Doctor replied.

　

"It is not a stupid idea." Clara argued.

　

"You don't think that it's stupid," the Doctor said, "because you don't always _think_."

　

Clara let out a grunt of frustration and flung her arms up into the air before angrily saying, "You are just so... argh! Doctor!"

　

The impossible girl whirled around and began to walk away from the Doctor. About halfway across the room, Clara suddenly let out a surprised cry. The Doctor rushed over to her and asked, "What? What is it?"

　

"It's the baby!" Clara gasped.

　

"What is it?" The Doctor asked. "Is something wrong?"

　

"No." Clara said, her voice shaking. "Nothing's wrong."

　

"What's with the shout, then?" the Doctor asked, his nerves a bit frazzled by what had happened seconds ago.

　

Clara turned around and faced the Doctor. A huge smile was on the impossible girl's face. In a voice that was filled with awe, Clara whispered, "I felt it _move_!"

　

A sense of excitement filled the air, as well as a sense of trepidation. Clara had known that she was pregnant, but for some reason feeling the movements of her unborn child made things seem even more real to her. Clara gently placed her hands on her belly. She couldn't feel it move from the outside, but it wouldn't be much longer before she- or the Doctor- would able to feel little kicks and flutters from outside her body. The very idea was absolutely thrilling.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 19

　

Clara was nearing the fifth month of her pregnancy and the symptoms that came with it were driving her crazy. She had to take breaks to go wee a lot more often than she'd like. She knew that it would only get worse as the baby grew and put even more pressure on her bladder. She was currently very sore after a long day at work. Her back was killing her. From her position near the counter in the TARDIS kitchen, Clara was unable to hold back a groan of pain as she almost dropped her cup. "This is impossible." Clara grumbled.

　

Clara flinched as another twinge of pain ran through her back. She carried her cup over to the table and sat down in a chair. She looked across the table at the Doctor, who was watching her with an unreadable expression on his face. A bit cranky from hormones and pain, Clara snapped, "What are you looking at?"

　

"Your pain face." the Doctor replied. "I'm tired of seeing it."

　

"Well, I've already taken some painkillers, but they're not working fast enough." Clara said angrily. "So excuse me if you have to endure looking at my 'pain face' because there's not really much I can do about it at the moment."

　

The Doctor was silent for a moment before setting down his own cup. "Turn around." he instructed.

　

"What?" Clara questioned.

　

"Just do it." the Doctor said. "Trust me."

　

Clara let out a sigh and pulled her chair out. She then sat backwards in her chair, her back facing away from the table. The Doctor got up and walked around the table, taking a position behind Clara. Unsure of what the Doctor had in mind, Clara asked, "What are you- _oh_!"

　

Clara was unable to hold back a cry as the Doctor's hands set to work at massaging her back. Clara buried her face in her arms. As the Time Lord continued his ministrations, Clara's pain slowly turned to a more pleasurable sensation. She let out a sigh of relief, followed by a moan of contentment. She could feel the Doctor's talented hands working over her back. It felt so good. Clara had to admit that this had definitely been one of the Doctor's better ideas. Slowly, Clara relaxed until she was practically putty under the Doctor's fingers. It had been quite a while since the Doctor had started massaging her, but when he stopped it seemed all too soon. Clara let out a disappointed groan when the Doctor removed his hands from her back. Slowly, Clara got up and turned to face the Doctor. Her face utterly relaxed, Clara said, "Oh, you are _definitely_ doing that again in the future."

　

"Yes, boss." the Doctor said with playful sarcasm.

　

Clara smiled, suddenly feeling rather playful. She trailed her fingers up the Doctor's chest. "Is there any way I can repay you?" Clara asked in a sultry tone. "A _reward_ of some sort, perhaps?"

　

The Doctor pulled Clara closer and ran his hands down her body before cupping her bum. Leaning into her ear, he whispered, "I'm sure I could think of something."

　

Clara let out a soft moan before saying, "I'm sure you could."

　

The impossible girl reached up for the Doctor's head, slowly pulling it down towards her seeking mouth. Suddenly, the sound of a horribly off-key rendition of Frank Sinatra's _Tell Her_ echoed through the kitchen. They both quickly turned to the entrance of the kitchen to see a smug Jack Harkness. He was utterly mangling the song. Simultaneously, the Doctor and Clara groaned, " _Jack_..."

　

"No hanky-panky in the kitchen, you two!" Jack said with a wink. "Unless I can join?"

　

"No." the Doctor said harshly.

　

Clara's face was completely red. Not wanting to look at Jack, she turned and buried her face in the Doctor's chest. In faux-disappointment, Jack groaned, "Aww! You're no fun."

　

With that, the captain walked away. Clara backed away from the Doctor and looked up at him. She let out an annoyed sigh. The mood was gone now. Little did they know, Clara and the Doctor were both thinking the same thing: _damn you, Jack Harkness_!

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 20

　

The past five months had passed a lot more quickly than either of them had expected. Today was the day. It was the day of Clara's second-trimester scan. Today, in addition to checking for any sort of problems, they would find out what their child's sex was. They were both anxious and thrilled. Clara really wanted to know what it was. The Doctor was nervous, though he hid it fairly well as he and Clara walked into the infirmary. Clara walked over to an examination table and climbed on to it, laying down flat on her back. The Doctor then initiated the scan. A display of Clara's body apeared. Clara didn't have the skills to read it, but the Doctor did. It was very healthy and showed no signs of any problems. Its hearts were beating strongly and everything else seemed to be in order. Yes, it was very healthy. Or rather, _he_ was very healthy, the Doctor noted. They were having a boy. Eagerly, Clara asked, "Well, how is it?"

　

"It's very healthy." the Doctor replied.

　

Clara let out a sigh of relief before asking, "Can you tell if it's a boy or if it's a girl?"

　

The Doctor did not know what prompted him to lie to Clara when he responded, "I can't tell from the way it is positioned. I'll run another scan later."

　

"Oh." Clara said, sounding rather disappointed. "Well, at least it's healthy."

　

The Doctor offered Clara a half-hearted smile. Clara returned that smile before saying, "Well, I'm going to go home. I have some papers to grade."

　

The Doctor nodded and watched Clara leave. Once the petite brunette was out of sight and earshot, the Doctor smacked his forehead with his hand. Just what had he done?

　

ooooooooooooooooooo

　

"So, Doc," Jack said before biting into an apple. He chewed and swallowed before continuing, "Clara seems kind of happy. How's the kid doing?"

　

The Doctor, still annoyed at himself, replied, "Very healthy. Everything seems to be in order."

　

"Boy or girl?" Jack asked.

　

"Couldn't tell." the Doctor said brusquely.

　

"Should be able to tell at this point." Jack said with a shrug.

　

"Yes, well, it was positioned so the scan didn't reveal its gender." the Doctor replied, still irritated.

　

Jack took a few more bites out of his apple before saying, "Five months, huh? Pretty soon we'll be hearing the pitter-patter of tiny feet in the TARDIS."

　

The Doctor paused. He and Clara hadn't really discussed where they would raise their son. The Doctor had assumed that they would raise him on the TARDIS. That had been the reason for his secret project. Scowling deeply, the Doctor said, "Assuming she doesn't want to raise him on Earth."

　

Belatedly, the Doctor realized that he had referred to his offspring as 'him'. He hoped that Jack hadn't noticed. Unfortunately, the captain was no idiot. He did notice. Jack set his apple down on the table and looked directly at the Doctor, the expression on his face incredibly serious. "You're having a boy?" Jack questioned.

　

The Doctor exhaled audibly and said, "Yes."

　

"And you told Clara that you didn't know?" Jack questioned again.

　

"Yes." the Doctor replied.

　

"And she said that she _really_ wanted to know?" Jack questioned once more.

　

The Doctor paused before yet again replying, "Yes."

　

"Oh." Jack said simply. He paused for a moment before saying, "You do know that Clara is going to murder you, right?"

　

"She wouldn't go that far." the Doctor replied. Well, he was mostly sure. There was always a chance, considering how moody Clara had become. He would hate to have to go through another regeneration and another personality so soon, especially with a child on the way.

　

"Doc..." Jack groaned, bringing a palm up to his face. "Chicks want to know these things. You're going to have to tell her."

　

"Some females like it to be a surprise." the Doctor suggested.

　

"Not Clara." Jack said with a frown. "You know what she's like. She likes to be on top of these things."

　

The Doctor held back a sigh. Jack might be right. Maybe it had been a bad idea to withhold the baby's gender from Clara. He had to tell her. An idea began to form in the Doctor's mind. Oh, yes, Clara would find out from him. Only he wouldn't tell her. He would show her. His project was almost finished.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

It had been a few days after the scan and Clara was about ready to ask the Doctor for another scan. When she heard the TARDIS materializing, Clara waited eagerly. When the door opened, she immediately walked in and addressed the Doctor. Clara, in no uncertain terms, said, "I'd like another scan."

　

"In a minute." the Doctor replied. "I have something to show you."

　

Clara frowned slightly, but she did suppose that the scan _could_ wait a few minutes. The Doctor moved his fingers in a come-hither manner before saying, "Follow me."

　

Clara, of course, followed. The Doctor led her down several corridors. Clara noted that the Doctor had moved his room across the hall from hers. At the end of the hall was a new door. Slowly, the Doctor opened the door and moved aside to allow Clara to stand in the doorway. The Doctor reached in and flicked the lights on, revealing the room's contents. In the room was a cradle, a few chairs, a changing table, some soft toys, and several other things that identified the room as what it was. "It's a nursery." Clara said, her eyes widening.

　

"Notice anything else?" the Doctor asked.

　

Clara's eyes swept across the room and she realized that the walls, the cradle, the changing table, and a few other things were all painted shades of blue. Clara swallowed audibly. She then turned to the Doctor and said, "Either you really like blue... or we're having a boy."

　

The Doctor ran a hand through his silver curls and responded, "A bit of both, actually."

　

Clara's face fell. The Doctor hastily asked, "Is that a bad thing?"

　

Clara smacked the Doctor, hard, on his arm and said, "No, it's not a bad thing! It's a great thing!"

　

The Doctor didn't say anything. Clara placed her hands on her hips and demanded, "Why did you lie to me?"

　

Helplessly, the Doctor shrugged and said, "I don't know."

　

Clara glared at him for several long, long seconds before her face finally split into a wide grin. The pregnant woman then flung her arms around the father of her child, holding him as close as her belly would allow, and happily cried, "We're having a boy!"

　

The Doctor reached down and awkwardly patted Clara on the back. The impossible girl then looked up at the Doctor, a smile still on her face. "So," Clara asked, "What now?"

　

"We carry on as usual." the Doctor replied, "Though I suppose now we can work on figuring out a name."

　

The expression on Clara's face changed a bit. She was still smiling, but it was a different smile. She trailed her fingers up the Doctor's chest and said in a low, sensual voice, "I don't know. Picking out a name can wait. Right now... I want to _celebrate_."

　

The Doctor recognized the tone of Clara's voice immediately. With surprising swiftness, he scooped Clara up into his arms and carried her out of the nursery, in the direction of his room.

  
After a great deal of _celebrating_ , the Doctor lay on his back with a sigh. Clara rolled off of him and nestled into his side. Slowly, her breathing began to even out as she drifted off. The Doctor, feeling utterly relaxed, followed soon after. As he began to drift off, he heard the TARDIS playing the Everly Brothers' _All I Have To Do Is Dream_ in the background. How oddly suitable, the Doctor thought. He then placed a hand on Clara's bulging abdomen and gently rubbed it. Soon he'd be able to feel the kicks and motions of his developing offspring from inside Clara as it grew stronger. He looked forward to it. When the Doctor finally drifted off, the only dreams that flitted through his head were of the pleasant kind.


	8. Chapter 8: Re-Introductions

Week 21

　

"No." the Doctor said firmly.

　

"Come on, Doctor." Clara said with a groan. "She hasn't met this you yet. I want my grandmother to be a part of my baby's life and, since you decided to stick around, she would want to meet you."

　

"I still don't want to re-introduce myself to your grandmother." the Doctor said with a scowl, folding his arms over his chest. "She doesn't have to ever meet me or our child."

　

"It's unavoidable." Clara replied. "She won't stop asking me to visit."

　

"You don't _have_ to visit her." the Doctor insisted.

　

"Yes, I do." Clara said firmly.

　

"Even if you do," the Doctor said, "you don't need to bring me along."

　

"We don't have to visit her for very long." Clara said insistantly. "We could drop by, say hello, give her an update on my pregnancy, and leave."

　

The Doctor raised a brow and said, "You're being suspiciously compliant."

　

"Well, to be honest, I don't want to stick around that long." Clara confessed. "She might try to pick names out for the baby and demand that I use one of them."

　

"That would be very annoying." the Doctor agreed. "Do you still want to visit her?"

　

"Doctor, I haven't seen her since before I got pregnant." Clara replied. "She's family. What can I do?"

　

"Avoid her." the Doctor suggested.

　

"Not possible." Clara said with a frown. "She'll track me down and go to my father's home when he's expecting a visit from me. The woman is very persistant."

　

The Doctor sighed and said, "We don't have a choice, do we?"

　

"Nope." Clara replied. "No choice at all."

　

"Wonderful." the Doctor said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I can't wait to meet her."

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

So they stood in front of the door to Clara's grandmother's home. Jack had convinced Clara and the Doctor to let him come along. His reasoning was that 'this is going to be good'. Clara was rather nervous and the Doctor wasn't faring much better, though he did a much better job of hiding it. Finally, after waiting a painfully long time, Clara knocked on her grandmother's door. There was a brief silence before Clara's grandmother opened the door. "Clara!" Clara's grandmother said happily. "It's so good to see you! Why don't you and your friends come in?"

　

Clara nodded and headed into her grandmother's home, followed by Jack and the Doctor. They headed into the living room and seated themselves on the couch, each male sitting on opposite sides of Clara. "So," Clara's grandmother inquired, "What brings you to visit your dear old grandmother?"

　

"Well, I have something to talk about." Clara replied.

　

"Did you change something? You're positively glowing!" Clara's grandmother said with a smile.

　

"Clara doesn't glow." the Doctor corrected.

　

Clara quickly elbowed the Doctor. She then turned back to her grandmother. There was an ever-so-brief pause before Clara said, "Well, that's because I'm pregnant."

　

There was another pause before Clara's grandmother said, "Oh, and here I thought you had just gained a lot of weight."

　

Clara's eye twitched slightly. The Doctor frowned. Clara swallowed silently before saying, "Gran, I could really use a cup of tea right now."

　

"It's no problem, dear." Clara's grandmother replied. "I should have offered in the first place. I'll go make some."

　

With that, Clara's grandmother went to the kitchen. Once she was out of earshot, the Doctor asked, "How come when _she_ says it, you only do that eye-twitch thing but when _I_ say it, you hit me?"

　

"Because you did this to me." Clara said flatly.

　

The Doctor scowled and folded his arms over his chest. They silently waited for Clara's grandmother. When the tea was ready, Clara's grandmother brought it over and handed a cup to Clara. "Thanks, Gran." Clara said with a smile.

　

"So," Clara's grandmother asked, "Who are these fine gentlemen?"

　

"They are Jack Harkness and the Doctor." Clara replied. She took a deep breath before continuing, "The Doctor is the father of my child."

　

Clara's grandmother smiled and reached over to shake Jack's hand. "Well, Doctor," she said, "I suppose that you two will produce very good looking children."

　

Clara's grandmother then glanced at the surprised Doctor and said, "I assume that you are the Doctor's father, Mister Harkness? May I call you Jack?"

　

Clara's grandmother fluttered her eyelashes at the Doctor, who immediately blanched. Jack snickered quietly. "I'm not Jack." the Doctor said with a frown.

　

"All right, Mister Harkness." Clara's grandmother said with a smile. There was a long, long pause before the old woman then asked, "I don't suppose there is a _Mrs_ Harkness, is there?"

　

Jack couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst into laughter. Clara's grandmother turned to him and asked, "What's so funny?"

　

"I'm afraid that there's been a bit of a mix-up." Jack replied.

　

"What do you mean?" Clara's grandmother inquired.

　

"You see," Jack explained, " _I'm_ Jack Harkness and I'm not the one who got Clara preggers." Jack pointed at the Doctor. "He is."

　

There was a pause before Clara's grandmother finally laughed and said, "You're funny, Doctor. No offense to Mister Harkness, but I know that Clara prefers young, handsome men."

　

The Doctor scowled. He may not have been particularly young- or young-looking- but he wasn't all that bad looking. Clara took a deep, deep breath before saying, "Jack's telling the truth."

　

"I'm not with Clara." Jack said. He then winked at Clara's grandmother and added, "Though there isn't a Mrs Harkness and you, madame, are a very handsome woman."

　

Clara resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands and groan. Go figure that Jack would flirt with her grandmother. Speaking of her grandmother, the woman was looking at her with an expression that essentially demanded an explanation. Clara exhaled and said, "It sort of just happened. One thing led to another and, well, here we are in this situation."

　

"I'm not her boyfriend." the Doctor said, as if it was somehow relevant to the situation.

　

"Clara, what were you thinking?" Clara's grandmother asked frustratedly. "You've been sleeping with a man who isn't even your boyfriend and now you're pregnant with his child. Never mind that he's old enough to be your father! If you were to get into this situation, I'd have expected it to be with a young, handsome man."

　

"Well, it did happen and now I'm pregnant." Clara said firmly. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Besides, the Doctor _is_ handsome."

　

The Doctor's neck cracked audibly as he turned his head to look directly at Clara. He had a rather dumbfounded expression on his face. Jack, once again, burst into laughter. Clara flushed a bright crimson. "Dear lord," Clara mumbled, "Did I really just say that?"

　

"Don't worry, Clara." Jack laughed. "You're not the only one who thinks that Doc is dead sexy."

　

Clara buried her face in her hands and groaned. "Can we all just forget that I said that? I didn't really mean it." she said, her voice slightly muffled.

　

The Doctor frowned. Jack smirked. Clara's grandmother still had a look of surprise on her face. After a moment, Clara's grandmother said, "I'd hate to be a poor hostess, but I'll have to ask you two gentlemen to go to another room. I'd like to have a talk with my granddaughter, _alone_."

　

Jack nodded and got up. He then left the room. The Doctor looked directly at Clara. Her face still pink, she nodded. The Doctor's face formed an unreadable expression as he got up and left. Now it was time for them to have that talk.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooo

　

The Doctor, of course, stayed close enough to eavesdrop. He had been surprised and strangely pleased when Clara had blurted that she thought that he was handsome, so he was rather disappointed when she recanted. Still, he would keep an ear on Clara and her grandmother. Perhaps what they said would be relevant. He waited for the women to be sure that he was presumably out of earshot. Finally, Clara's grandmother spoke. "How long have you known him?"

　

"A few years." Clara replied. "He's changed a bit. Let's just say that he was a different man when I first met him."

　

"He said that he wasn't your boyfriend." Clara's grandmother stated. "Is this true?"

　

Clara paused before replying, "Yes, it's true. The Doctor and I are not together romantically."

　

"Why did you sleep with him, then?" Clara's grandmother asked.

　

"Like I said, it sort of just happened." Clara confessed. "When I told him that I was pregnant, he said that he'd help with the baby."

　

"Maybe he just feels obligated." Clara's grandmother suggested.

　

"I'd like to think it's more than just that since he's my best friend." Clara replied. The Doctor could hear the smile in Clara's voice when she said, "Oh Gran, he's been so wonderful these past few months. Normally he's such a pain- well, he still is a pain- but he's really been trying to be understanding about the whole thing. I don't know if I would have been able to make it this far without him."

　

There was a long, long silence before Clara's grandmother finally spoke again. In a serious but gentle tone, she asked her granddaughter, "Do you love him?"

　

Upon hearing this question, the Doctor held his breath. What would Clara's response be? Did she love him or were they nothing more than friends who slept together? There was another long pause before Clara hesitantly said, "No. No, I don't love him."

　

The Doctor did not expect that answer to hurt, but it did. He tried to set aside his disappointment and once again sink himself deep into denial, but it was easier said than done. A big part of him had secretly wanted Clara to say _those words_. But she didn't. She didn't love him and that left a very unwelcome clenching sensation in the Doctor's chest. Still, he was able to convince himself that things would be just fine. He would continue to be satisfied with being her friend and helping her take care of their child. Things would be just fine. Knowing that she didn't love him didn't hurt at all. It didn't. After all, he didn't love her. Did he? He refused to think about it any further. He couldn't believe that he had, even for the briefest fraction of a second, ever entertained the idea.

　

In the other room, Clara's grandmother didn't believe a word of the last thing that her granddaughter had said.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Once they were back onboard the TARDIS, Jack ran off to do whatever it was that he did when he wasn't bothering the Doctor or Clara. To be honest, neither of them really wanted to know what it was that Jack did. That just left the Doctor and Clara alone in the console room. Clara was still completely unaware that the Doctor had overheard her conversation with her grandmother and, if the Doctor were to have his way, it would stay that way. Clara held back a sigh as she watched the Doctor pulling levers and pressing buttons. No doubt he was preparing to take her home. She supposed that it would be for the best. She did have papers to grade. Clara drummed her fingers on her thighs. She thought about when her grandmother had asked her if she loved the Doctor. Clara didn't. Love the Doctor, that is. Even if she did, there was no way that he loved her. Sex was one thing. Even parenting together didn't need to have to do anything with love. Clara just couldn't see the Doctor loving her. He clearly had the capacity to care deeply for her, but love? Clara shook her head. Even if she did love him, even if she allowed herself to, it would hurt too much knowing that he didn't love her back and never would. So no, she didn't love him. When the TARDIS started playing Glenn Medeiros' _Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You_ , the Doctor glanced back at Clara. She smiled at him. Clara refused to allow herself to love the Doctor. Instead, she would carry on as she usually did: buried up to her eyeballs in denial. It was for the best, she thought. They were just fine as friends. Well, at least that was what she told herself. For now, she was able to convince herself that it was true.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 22

　

Retching noises filled the air as Clara emptied her stomach into the loo with violent heaves. When she was finally able to regain control of her stomach, Clara took some toilet paper and wiped her mouth with it before tossing it into the bowl and flushing it. She then pulled herself up. She was still a bit unsteady on her feet, but she figured that she should probably get a glass of water or something. Morning sickness seriously, seriously sucked, especially when it wasn't limited to just mornings. Slowly, Clara made her way over to her kitchen. When she arrived at her sink, she poured herself a glass of cold water from the tap. She then began to drink her water slowly. This would help her keep it down. When Clara was about halfway through her glass of water, her mobile began to ring. She set her glass down on the counter and answered it. "Hello."

　

A female voice on the other end answered with a Hispanic American accent. " _Buenos dias_ , Chickie!" the woman greeted.

　

"Amelia Rosalita Hernandez," Clara said, "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

　

"It's nine in the morning over here in Chicago." Amelia replied. "I forget. What time is it over on your side of the pond?"

　

"Three in the morning." Clara replied.

　

"Ah." Amelia said. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

　

"I would, but my stomach decided to stage a revolt." Clara said with a half-smile.

　

Amelia was one of Clara's friends from university. At the time, Amelia, an American, had been studying abroad. The two were also flatmates at the time. Clara didn't get calls from Amelia all that often. They generally stayed in contact through social media sites. No, Amelia only called when she had something important to say. Clara let out a sigh and said, "So, what are you calling about?"

　

"Right." Amelia said. "Guess what? I'm moving to your country! My girlfriend lives in London and it's not like I wouldn't be able to find a job with my talent."

　

"Are you still a maid?" Clara asked jokingly.

　

"Concert violinist." Amelia corrected. "Anyway, how's the kid doing?"

　

"He keeps kicking me." Clara replied. "I've done some reading and I know that it's only going to get worse. I already have enough trouble sleeping."

　

"You need to get some rest, Chickie." Amelia said, using her pet nickname for Clara once more. "Have you tried meditation?"

　

"I've tried that." Clara said. "It didn't work."

　

"Well, I don't have any suggestions beyond that." Amelia said sympathetically. "Anyway, I've kept you up long enough. Sorry to call so early, Chickie."

　

"I'll send you a message in the morning." Clara said before correcting herself, "In the part of the morning where it's actually sensible to be awake."

　

"All right." Amelia bid her friend farewell. "Later, Chickie."

　

With that, the American hung up. Clara let out a sigh. While she was up, she might as well check her email. She made her way over to her room, got her laptop out, flipped it open, and turned it on. Once the laptop had finished starting up, Clara accessed the internet and checked her email. Her junk mail filter had kept most of the spam out. She had a few important messages. She immediately read and replied to those. When she opened the last email, she paused. It was another threatening email. This time, the person was threatening to break into her apartment, beat her, and rape her. It was disturbing that someone would say that. Clara didn't reply. She deleted the email immediately. She was very glad that the sender was most likely not a local. Well, she hoped that he was not a local. Anyway, she doubted that he would carry out his threats. She suspected that he might simply be an internet troll. A very disturbed internet troll. Unconsciously, Clara placed a hand protectively over her stomach. She wouldn't worry. Focusing on such things wasn't good for her pregnancy. No, she would try to get some sleep. With that in mind, Clara exited the internet browser and shut off her laptop. She then put it away. Once that was done, she climbed back into bed and tucked herself back in. Her dreams were a bit darker than usual, but thankfully, she didn't remember any of them when she woke up.

　

oooooooooooooooooooo

　

By the time the TARDIS had materialized at a more reasonable hour, it had been fifteen minutes since Clara had stopped vomiting and she was currently hungry. Without having to be asked, the TARDIS let her in. Clara quickly made a beeline for the TARDIS' kitchen. When the impossible girl walked in, her ears were immediately assaulted by a male voice doing what barely qualified as singing. Clara could see Jack Harkness over by the stove, cooking pancakes while utterly mangling Frank Sinatra's _All of Me_. During the time that Clara had known him, she had discovered that Jack had a fondness for Sinatra's music. Unfortunately, he also had a fondness for singing along. This was not a good thing since Jack couldn't carry a tune to save his life. Clara let out a sigh and walked over to the table. She sat down before greeting her friend. "Good morning, Jack."

　

"Good morning, Clara." Jack greeted back. "I'm making pancakes. Want some?"

　

"I'd love some." Clara said honestly and sincerely. "I could also use some eggs and bacon. Oh, and some guacamole."

　

"You want guacamole on your eggs?" Jack questioned.

　

"At least it's not chocolate syrup, mayonaise, and persimmons again." Clara replied.

　

Jack snorted and said, "Ew. No offense, Clara, but your pregnancy cravings are seriously gross sometimes."

　

"None taken." Clara replied. "Sometimes I wish it was easier to keep down certain normal foods. Don't even get me started on when I get hungry for alien foods!"

　

"I suppose that depends on what kind of alien foods you're hungry for." Jack said with a shrug.

　

They continued to chat while Jack cooked pancakes in one pan and bacon and eggs in another. When he was done cooking, Jack turned the stove off and relocated the pans to the counter. He then got some ingredients from the fridge and whipped up a batch of guacamole. With that done, he began to put food on their plates. Some bacon and eggs and pancakes for Clara, some bacon and eggs and pancakes for him. Jack put a dollop of guacamole on Clara's eggs, followed by some maple syrup on top of her pancakes. Jack put some maple syrup on his own pancakes before sitting down. Jack would actually dip his bacon into his syrup. Clara had to admit that bacon and maple syrup sounded tasty. So, she decided to enjoy her bacon the same way. Eventually, the smell of tasty food drew the Doctor to the kitchen. When he saw Clara, he said, "You got here quickly."

　

"As I recall, _you_ were the one to land your ship in my flat." Clara corrected.

　

"Force of habit." the Doctor defended himself. "Is that green stuff on your eggs _guacamole_?"

　

"Yes." Clara replied. "It's actually pretty good. Want to try some?"

　

"No thank you." the Doctor said with a frown.

　

The Doctor decided to help himself to some pancakes, bacon, and eggs before sitting down at the table with his plate. Clara turned to Jack and asked, "Do you always cook, Jack?"

　

"I agreed to cook when I came onboard the TARDIS." Jack answered. "I don't mind. It certainly beats giant Brazilian bugs for breakfast."

　

Clara wrinkled her nose and said, "Gross."

　

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "Caiman is much tastier."

　

"Caiman?" Clara questioned.

  
"Don't knock it 'til you try it." Jack said with a shrug.

　

Clara glanced at the Doctor and watched him eat the breakfast food. His current body really did seem to like food. Clara wondered if the Doctor really would eat anything. He always seemed to be eager to taste something new. Clara was fairly certain that neither of them had tried pasta with squid ink sauce. Unbidden, an image of herself and the Doctor eating pasta with squid ink sauce in a candle-lit setting under the moonlight came to mind. Clara blushed deeply and looked away from the Time Lord. Her own pancakes suddenly seemed much more interesting. The Doctor seemed to notice Clara's silence and commented, "You're not usually this quiet, Clara."

　

Clara forced a laugh and said, "Sorry. I'm still just waking up."

　

The Doctor scoffed and said, "You humans and your constant need for sleep. You know, your species wastes a third of their lives sleeping."

　

"Yes, well, I need the sleep." Clara replied. "If I don't get enough sleep, it's not good for the baby."

　

The Doctor made a noise of assent and put another bite of eggs and bacon into his mouth. Clara held back a sigh. Her everyday life was a bit more boring than what she had become used to before she had gotten pregnant. She really looked forward to not being pregnant anymore. Maybe when she and the Doctor went on adventures- on planets that didn't want them dead, of course- she would carry her baby in one of those baby-carrying slings. She imagined herself doing just that, with the Doctor hauling around a baby bag. She couldn't help but giggle at the mental image. Jack looked at Clara and raised a brow. "What's so funny?" he asked.

　

"Nothing." Clara replied with a smile. "Just thinking a bit. Parent things."

　

"Ah." Jack said. "I don't have any kids that I know of, so I wouldn't know."

　

"That you know of." the Doctor grumbled.

　

"Hey, I'm always careful." Jack defended himself. "I'm always very, _very_ careful. Unlike you two, I'm guessing."

　

Clara blushed a bit and looked at the Doctor. Jack was correct. Neither she nor the Doctor had been particularly careful. After all, they had become certain that they were incompatible due to their being different species. Some alien species were compatible, but Clara hadn't really considered getting pregnant by the Doctor. Now look where she was: twenty-two weeks pregnant with a half-alien baby. She hadn't seen that one coming. Clara took a bite of her guacamole-smothered eggs and thought about it for a bit. She then glanced at the Doctor and decided that she could definitely be worse off. At least she wouldn't be alone in this.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 23

　

Pregnancy was a joyful thing, but it wasn't all sweets and roses. No, there were numerous physical problems, including back pain. As Clara got further along in her pregnancy, the back pain became more annoying. It wasn't straight-up agony, but some days she was quite sore. A back rub would be nice, she thought. Unfortunately, she doubted that she would be able to get a back rub anytime soon. She thought back to the time that the Doctor had given her that excellent back rub. Oh, that had been wonderful. Maybe she would ask him again. Or she wouldn't. Clara sighed. She was almost six months pregnant. She was well past the halfway point, but she still had a little over three months before it was time for her to give birth. Normally three months wouldn't be that long of a time span, but when you were bloated, nauseous, sore, moody, and generally uncomfortable, it seemed like it would last forever. Still, she had to be patient. It wouldn't be long, she told herself. Not only was she eager to get this pregnancy over with, she was also eager to meet her son. Even after nearly six months, she still sometimes found it hard to believe that she was going to be a mother. She didn't know if she was completely ready, but some part of her believed that she was capable of handling it. She had a lot to learn, but when the time came, she would do her very best to be a good mother to her son. After all, for millions of years, first-time mothers had still ended up becoming good parents. Just how many of those women were mothers to half-alien offspring was up for debate. Clara groaned and slowly sank down onto her sofa. Sitting down for a bit would do her some good. Maybe after a while, her back pain would subside a bit. Clara chuckled and gave her belly bump an affectionate pat. "You just insist on making mummy sore, don't you?" the impossible girl said with a smile.

　

Oh yes, the soreness would get worse. By the end of her pregnancy, she would be sore all over. She was already sore in various places on her body. Oh yes, it would get worse. Would it be worth it? She didn't neeed to think about it for longer than a second. Of course it would be worth it. Any pain she would have to endure would be worth it just to see her son. Clara let out a sigh and lowered her hand to her side. Suddenly, she felt the now-familiar sensation of her son kicking her. He had grown a lot stronger since she had first started feeling him move. She knew that in the coming weeks, he would be even more insistant on playing football with her kidneys. It might get even harder for her to sleep. Wonderful. When Clara heard the TARDIS materializing, she sat up. She winced slightly as she moved just wrong enough to cause a twinge of pain to run up her back. Carefully, Clara stood up. She walked over the TARDIS and was almost hit in the face when the Doctor suddenly flung the ship's door open. "Clara, I have an idea!" He declared.

　

"What else is new?" Clara grumbled, feeling a bit snippy from the hormones and the soreness.

　

"I'll ignore the sarcasm for now." the Doctor said before continuing, "Like I said, I have an idea."

　

"What's your big idea this time?" Clara asked.

　

"Well, you've been having trouble sleeping, so I suppose that it stands to reason that you should start sleeping onboard the TARDIS." the Doctor replied. "I've already replaced the bed in your room with what has been largely touted as the most comfortable bed in the galaxy."

　

Clara placed her hands on her hips and said, "You could have asked first."

　

"You weren't there at the time." the Doctor said with a dismissive wave of his hand. When the Time Lord saw the expression on his companion's face, he said, "You're making the pain face again. What's wrong this time?"

　

"My back is killing me." Clara groaned.

　

"I seriously doubt that." the Doctor scoffed.

　

"Shut up." Clara grunted. "If you think that this back pain is a minor inconvenience, then let's see _you_ carry this baby."

　

"As you and I are both very well aware of, I lack the correct parts for that." the Doctor said dryly.

　

"This is still your fault." Clara said with a scowl. Another stab of pain ran up her back and she winced.

　

The Doctor gave Clara a long, hard look before letting out a sigh and saying, "Follow me."

　

This had better be leading up to a back rub, Clara thought as she followed the Doctor into the TARDIS. The Time Lord let his companion through the console room, down a hall, and past the common room. Clara could hear Jack playing video games from inside the common room. Next, the Doctor led Clara in the direction of their rooms. He then opened the door to Clara's room, stepping aside to allow her in. When Clara entered her room, she saw that her bed had indeed been changed. Clara walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge before lying back into it. She let out a sigh. It was indeed a comfortable bed. She watched the Doctor walk around her before guiding her to sit back up. He then climbed in bed behind Clara. "Take your top off." the Doctor instructed.

　

The impossible girl nodded and took her top off. She then waited with great anticipation before, finally, the Doctor's hands settled on her back. Once again, his talented hands were put to work. Clara let out a pleased groan as the soreness and knots were worked out of her muscles. "You-" Clara tried to say, but she was interrupted by her own moan. "You are _really_ good at this."

　

"Well," the Doctor said, "Over my many centuries of travelling through time and space, I have studied under a variety of experts who have taught me a few things."

　

"If I ever meet them, I'll have to make sure to thank them." Clara sighed.

　

The massage continued in silence. Well, relative silence. The quiet was punctuated by periodic noises from Clara. Even after all the knots had been worked out, the Doctor continued the massage. Slowly, Clara began to feel warm in another part of her body. As the massage continued, Clara's womanhood started to feel warmer and warmer. Before she could stop herself, the words had escaped Clara's mouth. "Doctor," she moaned, "I want you inside me."

　

Immediately, Clara froze and blushed heavily. She could feel the Doctor pause behind her. Clara was more than a little annoyed with herself. There she had gone and ruined things. To Clara's surprise, the Doctor's pause didn't last long. He resumed his ministrations, this time making his actions less thereputic and more sensual. Clara was breathing harder. After a few minutes, she felt the Doctor pause again. He then reached out from behind Clara and began to massage her breasts. Ooh, that was nice. Clara let out a soft moan and leaned back into the Doctor's chest. Eventually, he needed to move on, but there was the problem of Clara's belly getting in the way. The Doctor climbed out of bed before settling down on his knees in front of Clara. "Lie back." he whispered.

　

After the Doctor slid Clara's pajama pants off, her breath hitched in anticipation as she laid back into her new bed. She didn't have to wait long for something to happen. Clara let out a cry of pleasant surprise as she felt the Doctor's tongue between her folds. Slowly, he laved her sex with his talented tongue. His motions were achingly slow. Clara let out a whimper and tried to press her hips into his face, but the Doctor held her thighs firmly and continued to tease her. "Doctor, please!" Clara whimpered.

　

She felt the Doctor chuckle against her. Finally, he began to increase the pressure of his ministrations. Clara's cries grew louder and more frequent before, finally, the dam burst. She let out a loud moan as she climaxed under the Doctor's mouth. Clara panted, trying to catch her breath, before finally asking, "We're not done yet, are we?"

　

"No." the Doctor replied.

　

Clara crawled back onto the bed to make room for the Doctor to join her. After a short time, they settled on a position. The Doctor laid on his back and pulled Clara on top of him. Clara did not hesitate at all as she took the Time Lord's hard length into her with a loud moan. This time, she set the pace. She started out agonizingly slow- after all, turnabout was fair play. She watched as the Doctor scrunched his face and gripped the sheets. "Clara..." he groaned.

　

"Yes, Doctor?" Clara asked, unable to keep her voice steady as she rode him.

　

"Clara, move." the Doctor groaned.

　

"Clara move _what_?" Clara asked with faux innocence.

　

"Clara, please." the Doctor groaned.

　

That was the word that Clara was waiting for. She began to move up and down just a little bit faster. She kept a steady pace until the Doctor suddenly gripped her hips tightly and thrust up into her. Clara let out a moan that was loud enough to be considered a scream. She could take a hint. Clara began to ride the Doctor a bit harder as he thrust up into her. The sounds of moaning, hard breathing, and flesh meeting flesh sounded through the room as both Time Lord and human moved as one. Clara, still sensitive from her earlier orgasm, was getting there faster. She let out a whimper. In a nearly breathless voice, the Doctor asked, "Are you close?"

　

Clara clenched her eyes shut and nodded. She was so close. "Doctor," she whimpered, "I'm going to..."

　

"Let go, Clara." the Doctor said, his voice low and rough. "Let me see you."

　

When the Doctor gave a particularly hard thrust, Clara came, and she came _hard_. The impossible girl screamed her release. Seeing Clara climax definitely seemed to do something for the Doctor. After a few more frantic thrusts, he gripped Clara's hips tightly- there would probably be bruises later- and spilled into her. They stayed there for a few seconds before the Doctor pulled his softening length out of his companion. Clara let out a soft groan at the sensation of emptiness. She rolled onto her side and the Doctor laid behind her, spooning her. After she had fully caught her breath, Clara said, "Doctor?"

　

"Hmm?" the Doctor grunted.

　

"My back doesn't hurt anymore." the impossible girl said with a smile.

　

Clara felt the Doctor bury his face in her hair and inhale deeply. As usual, her orgasms tended to tire her out. Clara quickly fell asleep. When the TARDIS began to play Journey's _Faithfully_ , the song was played quietly so it would not wake Clara up. The Doctor did not comment. By now, he was starting to figure out that the ship seemed to think that he was in love with Clara. It actually wouldn't be hard to fall in love with her, but he wouldn't do it. Clara had said mere weeks ago that she didn't love him. Of course, that didn't mean that he couldn't do what he was doing now. So, for the next few hours, the Doctor held his impossible girl. All the while, he tried to convince himself that he wasn't falling in love with Clara Oswald.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, things are getting serious now. After the Smut Fairy paid a visit, I sprinkled some romance in at the end. Don't you just love it? I really do enjoy writing this story. This isn't the last time we hear from Amelia. When she was mentioned earlier in the story, my mother came up with her name. We both had a good laugh.


	9. Chapter 9: In Which Clara Doesn't Sprint

**Week 24**

　

Boring everyday life was driving Clara crazy. She needed to go someplace interesting. The trouble was that she needed to convince the Doctor to take her someplace. Eventually she succeeded, but the Doctor insisted on taking her to a planet that he was absolutely sure didn't want them dead. Or Jack. He wanted to come along. At least the planet was safe, Clara thought as she walked at the Doctor's side. Unfortunately, safe sometimes meant boring. It was a good thing that the place they were in right now wasn't boring. It was a little market, full of a variety of interesting things that would grab Clara's attention. One of the stalls was offering free samples of a popular alien snack. Clara headed over to the stall and considered trying some, but the Doctor held her back. He scanned the items with his sonic screwdriver before saying, "They're safe."

　

Clara happily took one of the snacks. They smelled heavenly. She didn't hesitate to pop the snack into her mouth. She chewed slowly, savoring the flavor. It tasted rather like chocolate and bacon. It was an interesting combination of sweet and salty. She decided then and there that she had to have some. She looked directly at the Doctor and said, "I _need_ this food."

　

The Doctor let out a sigh before purchasing a box and putting it into a reusable cloth bag. Jack took a quick look at the box and asked, "Can I have some?"

　

Clara shot him a dirty look and said, "Take any and I will cut you."

　

"You don't have anything sharp with you." Jack pointed out.

　

"I'll find a way." Clara promised.

　

"Clara, as much as I enjoy hearing you threaten Jack, we need to move along. You said that you wanted to look at all of the stalls." the Doctor said, sounding mildly amused.

　

"Right." Clara said with a smile. "Onward we go."

　

They continued to make their way through the market, examining a variety of interesting items. A few items, such as some more maternity clothes for Clara, were purchased. When the bags started becoming a bit heavier, the task of carrying them was thrust upon Jack. "Honestly," Jack groused, "How much stuff does a woman _need_?"

　

"I always need some more maternity clothes." Clara replied. "And you know that I sometimes get cravings for alien foods. We're just picking up the things that I commonly have intense, undeniable cravings for. There's that noodle dish with meat that looks like pork and smells like fish but tastes like chickpea curry, only better."

　

"Given a choice, I think I'll turn that dish down." Jack said nonchalantly.

　

"Good." Clara said. "You can't eat any."

　

"I might." the Doctor commented.

　

"I don't think so." Clara said with a frown.

　

"I'm the one who paid for it." the Doctor pointed out.

　

"I know," Clara replied, "and I am eternally grateful for that. It still doesn't mean that I want to share."

　

"Maybe I'll steal some." the Doctor said, uncharacteristically teasing Clara.

　

"Maybe I'll eat it first." Clara teased back. "If there's any left over it'll be covered in my icky human saliva."

　

"Can't have that." the Doctor replied.

　

Jack pretended to be affronted and said with mock-annoyance, "Get a room, you two!"

　

Clara turned slightly pink and said, "We're just talking, Jack."

　

"Nothing's wrong with having a little fun while you can." Jack said with a smile. That smile then turned laviscious as he added, "Though if you two _do_ get a room, can I join?"

　

The Doctor shot Jack a very potent glare. In no uncertain terms, the Doctor and Clara both simultaneously said, "No."

　

"Are you sure?" Jack asked teasingly. "I thought I saw a hotel a while back."

　

"Jack." Clara said with a frown. "Shut up. Just shut up."

　

"All right, all right." Jack said, holding up his hands defensively. "I'll shut up. Just don't go psycho on me. I don't feel like getting stabbed today."

　

It was highly unlikely that Clara would stab Jack, especially considering that she didn't have anything sharp, but sometimes she could get pretty cranky. Jack knew this. He didn't like to have Clara mad at him. If Clara was mad at him, the Doctor would get mad at him. Because Jack lived on the TARDIS, he would have to deal with a grouchy Doctor full-time. Jack didn't mind making the Doctor a little bit grumpy, but he knew not to push too far. When the Doctor was too cranky, he was an absolute nightmare to live with. Though Jack was, to put it mildly, extremely difficult to kill, he figured that it was in his best interest to not misbehave too much. Granted, it was extremely unlikely that the Doctor would inflict physical harm on him, but Jack didn't want to make his own life any more difficult than it had to be. So, he didn't comment anymore about how the Doctor and Clara seemed to basically be flirting, but he did have a broad grin on his face. Suddenly, a high-pitched, raspy voice sounded from behind him. "Clara Oswald and the Doctor!" it barked.

　

Jack, the Doctor, and Clara turned around to see a taupe-skinned alien with pink eyes glaring at them. The Doctor and Clara groaned simultaneously. "Not this guy!" Clara groaned.

　

"Go away, Varin." the Doctor said with a great deal of exasperation in his voice.

　

"You two are the reason my brother is imprisoned!" the taupe biped said angrily. He then pulled out a gun and said, "I will have my revenge!"

　

The Doctor immediately stood in front of Clara. Varin's gun quickly charged up and he fired at the Doctor. Fortunately, Varin was a terrible shot. He missed the Doctor entirely... and hit Jack. The American was thrown back before crumpling to the ground. "Jack!" Clara cried out.

　

Varin scowled and said, "Hold still, you two, and let me kill you!"

　

Varin started charging up his gun again and the Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver, intent on attempting to disable the weapon. Fortunately, he didn't have to. Jack, who had gotten back up while no one was paying attention, tackled Varin to the ground. They wrestled around for a bit before Jack smashed the alien's head against the ground, knocking him out. He probably would have hurt Varin some more, had it not been for what happened next. Suddenly, the trio heard more weapons charging up. They were surrounded by men in identical uniforms. "Freeze where you are!" one of the policemen barked.

　

"Whoah, whoah, whoah!" Jack cried out. "It was self-defense!"

　

"We'll see about that." The policeman said. "For now, you're going down to the station."

　

"What about him?" Jack asked, pointing at Varin.

　

"We're arresting him." the policeman replied. "It's against the law to discharge a weapon within city limits."

　

The policeman who had been speaking placed cuffs on Varin and some of the others carried the downed assailant away. The speaking policeman then turned to the trio and said, "All right, you three are coming with us."

　

"What?" Clara cried out. "We didn't do anything!"

　

"That remains to be seen." the policeman replied. "We can clear things up at the station if you're innocent. Until then, you're under arrest for assault."

　

The policemen put the Doctor and Jack in handcuffs. One guard was about to cuff Clara when the Doctor protested, "You can't cuff her. She's pregnant!"

　

"She's still a potential threat to the public." the policeman said. He wasn't joking.

　

Jack looked at Clara and suggested, "Maybe we should run?"

　

Clara placed her hands on her hips and angrily said, "Do I look like I'm in any condition for sprinting, Jack?"

　

Jack grinned sheepishly as the policeman cuffed Clara. The time-travelling trio were then put into a vehicle, which drove away to the station with them. The policeman who had been talking spent several hours interviewing witnesses while some other policemen interrogated the Doctor, Jack, and Clara. Eventually, the talking policeman opened the door to the interrogation room that Clara was in and said, "You and your friends are free to go."

　

"Thank god!" Clara sighed.

　

When they were reunited, Clara immediately hugged the Doctor as tightly as her stomach would allow. The Time Lord went stiff for a moment before awkwardly patting Clara on the back. Jack placed his hands on his hips and pretended to be upset as he said, "Hey! Don't I get a hug?"

　

Clara rolled her eyes and moved over to Jack to give him a hug. When Jack noticed the way the Doctor was glaring at him, he made sure to keep his hands above Clara's waist. As the trio left the police station, Clara said, "Getting arrested for assault, while six months pregnant, on an alien planet? Check."

　

The policeman who had arrested them walked up to them and apologized, "I'm sorry about the mix up with you, your friend, and your boyfriend, ma'am."

　

Immediately, the Doctor said, "I'm not her boyfriend."

　

"Oh." the policeman said. He gestured towards Jack and asked, "Is he her boyfriend?"

　

"No thanks." Jack replied. "I choose against recieving bodily injury from a crazy pregnant woman or her possessive boyfriend."

　

"I'm not possessive," the Doctor insisted, "and I'm not her boyfriend!"

　

"He's right." Clara added. "We're not together romantically."

　

The policeman gave them a long, hard look and skeptically said, "Riiiight.

　

The policeman then smiled and said, "Well, I hope you three enjoy our fine city. Farewell!"

　

With that, the policeman walked back into the police station.

　

"I can't believe that happened." Clara said, resisting the urge to face-palm. "You know what? Never mind. This isn't the first time the Doctor and I have been arrested and I'm guessing that it isn't the first time for you, either, Jack."

　

"Nope!" Jack replied.

　

"I'm not sure I want to know what you were arrested for." the Doctor said with a frown.

　

"Suit yourself." Jack said with a shrug.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

**Week 25**

　

Clara had been getting those threatening emails again and they were getting more violent and more descriptive. Her vivid dreams kept waking her up in the middle of the night. Add that to the fact that her baby seemed to be very active at night and kept kicking her. She generally wasn't sleeping well. She was alone and she just couldn't get comfortable in her bed that night. Clara tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position. Finally, she let out a loud groan and sat up. She thought about the TARDIS, which was still in her flat. It was blocking the path to her kitchen, so she would have no choice other than to go inside if she wanted a midnight snack. Well, it wasn't technically midnight. It was two in the morning. Clara sighed and got out of bed. She made her way out of her bedroom and through the living room and in the direction of the TARDIS. Clara swallowed before knocking on the door. A minute or so later, the door was opened, revealing the Doctor standing there. Apparently, he had heard her and opened the door. He glanced around at the darkness inside the room before asking, "Clara, what are you doing up?"

　

"Couldn't sleep." Clara replied. "Your son keeps playing football with my kidneys and I can't get comfortable."

　

The Doctor stood there, contemplating. After a few seconds, he stepped aside to allow Clara in. The human female gave the Time Lord a look of gratitude and relief. She had decided that she wouldn't tell the Doctor about the other reason why she was having trouble sleeping. If she told him about her dreams about the threatening emails, he would no doubt make some rude comment about her human paranoia and other weaknesses. She wasn't really in the mood to hear the Doctor insult her species. Clara glanced around the console room in silence, taking comfort in the sounds of the TARDIS. The impossible girl then left the console room to head for the kitchen. When she arrived in the kitchen, she immediately made a beeline for the refridgerator. She opened the door and searched its contents before finally choosing some strawberries. She took the box of the fruit out before closing the refridgerator behind her. Clara held the box of strawberries in one hand, removing a strawberry from the container and nibbling the red part of the fruit off. When she was halfway through her third strawberry, Clara noticed the Doctor leaning against the door frame. He seemed to be examining her closely. Clara tried to ignore it but, after a while, she grew annoyed. Turning to the Time Lord, she asked, "Why are you staring at me?"

　

"I was thinking." the Doctor replied.

　

"Can't you think _without_ staring at me?" Clara asked.

　

"What are you doing in here, Clara?" the Doctor asked. "Normally you'd be wasting about one third of your day sleeping right now."

　

"Like I said," Clara said with a note of irritation in her voice, "I couldn't sleep. Your ship was blocking the way to my kitchen, so I had to come in here for a snack."

　

The look that the Doctor was giving her was one of someone who could tell that she wasn't telling the whole story. Still, he said nothing. Clara combed her fingers through her hair and said, "I couldn't get comfortable. Maybe I should sleep in here. You did say that the bed in my room was the most comfortable bed in the galaxy."

　

The Doctor continued to watch Clara in silence. Finally, Clara let out a sigh and put the box of strawberries back into the refridgerator. "I'm going to bed." she anounced.

　

With that, she left the kitchen to go to her room onboard the TARDIS. When she entered her room, she carefully made her way through the darkness before reaching her bed and turning on the lamp on the nightstand next to it. She then climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up over her. The bed truly was the most comfortable she had ever lain in. Letting out a contented sigh, Clara nestled into the bed before closing her eyes.

　

_A faceless assailent cornering her in her flat. Suddenly, she was bound, unable to move. The faceless man said in an evil voice, "At last I have you, Clara Oswald."_

_"Let me go!" Clara spat_

_"You will be mine, Clara." the man sneered._

_A cold wave of fear shot through Clara. She swallowed and asked fearfully, "What do you want?"_

_"You, my dear." the man said wickedly. "I will have you."_

_"No!" Clara cried._

_"No one is going to save you." the faceless man said with an evil laugh._

_Clara trembled fearfully when the man pulled out a knife. "First," he said, "I have to get rid of a little problem."_

_When the man lowered his knife, slowly dragging it up Clara's belly without cutting it, she whimpered, "Please, no!"_

_"This inconvenience must go before I have you." the man sneered._

_"Please don't hurt my baby!" Clara begged._

_The man let out an evil laugh and thrust the blade towards Clara's belly. Helpless to do anything, she cried out the name of the one person she trusted more than anyone else in the universe._

　

"DOCTOR!" Clara screamed, bolting upright in her bed.

　

Mere seconds later, the Doctor flung open the door to Clara's room, panic in his eyes as he frantically shouted her name. " _Clara!_ "

　

Clara took one look at the Doctor and tears started streaming down her face as she buried her face in her hands and began to sob loudly. This had been the worst dream yet. Within seconds, the Time Lord was at his companion's side. Hesitantly, the Doctor reached out and placed a hand on Clara's shoulder. Clara continued to weep into her hands for many long minutes before finally, her crying started to slow down. She was no longer sobbing, but she had started to tremble violently. Gradually, her shaking began to slow before, finally, she was still. In a voice that was surprisingly patient, the Doctor asked, "What happened?"

　

Clara let out a choked sob and said, "It was horrible. I had the worst nightmare."

　

She let out a false laugh before saying, "I know, I know. Me and my silly human weaknesses."

　

"I have them, too." the Doctor admitted. "What was yours about?"

　

"There was a man in my flat." Clara said, her voice shaking. "I was tied up. He was going to hurt the baby."

　

The Doctor frowned, but he awkwardly gave Clara's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I was all alone." Clara said, tears returning to her eyes. She turned to the Doctor and cried, "Doctor, I can't be alone. Please don't leave me alone!"

　

The Doctor clearly could see the desperation in Clara's eyes. In a soft, almost fearful voice, she begged him, "Please don't leave me alone."

　

The Doctor had an unreadable expression on his face. Finally, he nodded. He sat down on Clara's bed and said, "Move over."

　

Clara nodded and scooted over a bit, making room for the Doctor. He climbed into the bed and laid down by Clara, his body next to hers as he spooned her. Clara reached back and took the Doctor's hand before pulling his arm over her. So the Doctor lay there, his arm around Clara's waist, his hand protectively over her abdomen. Being held like this, Clara felt a lot safer. It was then that the baby decided to give a particularly hard kick, hard enough for the Doctor to feel with his hand. He pulled his hand back and asked, "Is that-"

　

Clara nodded and said, "Yeah, that's him."

　

Behind Clara, the Doctor had a look of wonder on his face. Slowly, he reached back over and placed his hand back onto Clara's stomach. Their unborn son gave another kick. Both Clara and the Doctor smiled. The Time Lord leaned his head forward and buried his nose in his companion's brown locks. He inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of her hormones and the teasing, pleasant scent that was specifically Clara. Gradually, Clara relaxed. Finally, she fell asleep. She dreamt only pleasant dreams as she lay there, safe in the comfort of the Doctor's arms.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

**Week 26**

　

Lately, Clara had been sleeping much better. This was probably because she had started sleeping in the TARDIS. She would fall asleep quite easily in her comfortable bed. She didn't have nightmares as often. When she did, she would seek out the Doctor. They would talk until Clara was ready to go back to sleep. Sometimes, if her dream had been particularly bad, he would sit with her until she felt safe enough to go to sleep. Occasionally, he would even lie in bed with her. Nothing ever happened, but she did blush a bit when she realized that she enjoyed it a little more than she ought to. Of course, since she had been sleeping better, she had more energy at work. One of the other staff members, a rather conservative person, still thought that Clara should get married to the man who impregnated her, but no one paid that person any heed. One of the people who was nice to her was the new biology teacher, Alex Chang. Really, Alex had always been nice to her. Sometimes, instead of going directly home, she would talk to the biology teacher for a while. He had offered her a ride home on numerous occasions, but every time she already had a ride. Alex was never offended.

　

Today, Clara had stuck around to chat with Alex again. She had a feeling that today would be somehow different. She just didn't know how different until Alex asked, "So, are you doing anything next week?"

　

"Not really." Clara replied. "Why?"

　

Alex smiled and said, "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go see a film with me. Just the two of us."

　

Clara paused for a second before asking, "Alex Chang, are you asking me out on a date?"

　

"Yes." Alex replied. "Yes, I am."

　

Clara didn't answer quickly. Immediately, her thoughts flew to the Doctor. How would he react? Would he be upset that she was dating again? Would he be hurt if she went out with Alex? No, Clara thought, she had to put those thoughts aside. She wasn't with the Doctor romantically. She would not be, by any stretch of the imagination, _cheating_ on him. Besides, it was just one date, right? When Clara did answer, she asked, "Just a film, right?"

　

"Just a film." Alex replied.

　

Just because Clara was pregnant didn't mean that her social life was dead. She would go on a date with Alex and would see how things went. If things led to more dates, well, that would be fantastic. She told herself that she was lonely, that she needed a man. A man who wasn't called the Doctor. He didn't love her. Not romantically. Clara had several rules that she abided by, and one was _do not fall in love with the Doctor_. For as long as she had known him, she had followed that rule. She would continue to follow that rule. Clara made up her mind. She smiled at Alex and said, "All right, Alex. I'll go out on a date with you."

　

"How does Wednesday evening next week sound?" Alex asked.

　

"Wednesday is great." Clara replied with a smile.

　

If she were to pursue a man, it would be a normal, _human_ man. She belonged with a member of her own species, regardless of how natural, how _right_ it felt to be in the Doctor's arms. If she were to develop undoubtedly one-sided feelings of romantic affection for the Time Lord, it would only lead to pain and heartache. To be rejected by him would be too much to bear. That was why, no matter what happened, she could not fall in love with the Doctor. If she were to fall in love with him, to pretend otherwise would hurt too much.

　

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know- I'm driving you crazy with the angst. Things will get worse before they get better. I promise you, this is a Twelve/Clara story.


	10. Chapter 10: Hurtful Words

Week 27

It had been a bit over a week since Clara had agreed to go on a date with Alex Chang. Now, the time had come for her to go to a movie with him. Clara didn't want to come across as a lazy slob, so she decided to dress up a bit. She was wearing a knee-length blue maternity dress and a pair of black flats with little bows on top. She would have worn heels, but her pregnancy would have made the heels more painful to wear. She wore light makeup and a charm bracelet as well. Her look was completed with her hair formed into beachy waves by a curling iron. Clara examined herself in the mirror. She was the size of a whale, but other than that, she looked good. Whipping her mobile out of her handbag, she sent a text to Amelia, who had by then moved into her girlfriend's flat. Clara asked for a ride to the cinema and Amelia, of course, said that she would give her a ride. So, Clara waited outside until Amelia's girlfriend's sub-compact pulled up. When Clara walked over to the car, a woman with tan skin, dark hair, and dark eyes stuck her head out and gave a wolf whistle. "Damn, Chickie! You look good enough to eat!" the American said with a grin. 

"I don't look like a beached whale?" Clara questioned. 

"Hell no." Amelia replied. "You are drop-dead sexy. Why, if I weren't in a committed relationship with a neurologist, I'd ask you out."

Clara gave a nervous smile and walked around the car to let herself in. When she closed the door and buckled herself up, she asked, "How is Pavarti?"

"Busy as usual." Amelia said with a shrug as she started driving. 

"When the three of us have time, maybe we could all go out for lunch to catch up." Clara suggested. She thought that Amelia and Pavarti made an incredibly cute couple. 

"That sounds nice, but I'd have to talk to her about it." Amelia replied. "Hopefully, we'll all be able to get together soon. You'll need those last few weeks of freedom before you become bound by the chains of parenthood."

"I hope I can be a good enough mother for him." Clara said, a hint of insecurity in her voice. "And what about Alex? If we do start going on dates, what happens when the baby comes? Would he still be interested in a woman with a newborn?"

"Chickie, you're almost seven months pregnant and he's still interested in you." Amelia pointed out. "Maybe he won't mind helping out a girlfriend with a baby."

Immediately, Clara's thoughts went to the Doctor. He said that he would help out with the baby, that he would help raise him. What would he do if another person were to take his place in that role? Clara decided that she'd cross that bridge if or when she came to it. "So," Amelia asked, "are you planning a baby shower?"

"No, not really." Clara admitted.

"Well, then," Amelia said with a grin, "I'm going to throw you one. Gifts, diapers, baby swings, tequila, the works."

"Amelia, I'm pregnant." Clara scolded her friend. "I can't have alcohol."

"The tequila is for me." Amelia said, her grin becoming even wider. 

Clara couldn't help but laugh. For some reason, the idea of Amelia bringing tequila to a baby shower seemed very believable. The American had an amazing work ethic, but she really knew how to party. Amelia claimed that this particular combination of work and play flexibility was a result of her Mexican heritage. That and what Amelia called her 'fiery Latin temper'. "So," Clara inquired, "What do you think of the UK?"

"I love this country." Amelia joked. "Unlike back in the States, people here actually have a legitimate reason to believe that I wasn't born in their country."

Amelia would make jokes about that kind of thing, but Clara knew that it was to hide the fact that she was a bit touchy about it. Amelia's mother, who had entered America illegally, had been deported when she was twelve. Amelia, who had been born in the US, had to be raised by an aunt. It wasn't really fair, but that was just another part of Amelia's past and Clara felt privileged that the American woman had trusted her enough to tell her. Clara felt bad about snickering at Amelia's comment, but she couldn't help herself. "You're always so satirical, Amelia." Clara said with a chuckle.

"You know it, Chickie!" Amelia said cheerfully. The American then grinned and said, "If you and your date decide to get freaky, don't forget to use protection. I know that it may not seem to make sense with you already being knocked up, but you have to remember about diseases and stuff. You never know, right?"

Clara rolled her eyes and said, "I know, I know. I have condoms in my handbag."

"Better to have one and not need one than need one and not have one." Amelia said sagely. 

As Amelia continued to drive towards their destination, she and Clara continued to chat about various subjects. Mostly, it was about Clara's impending due date. She wasn't due for a while, but the weeks seemed to be passing quickly. When they arrived outside the cinema, they could see Alex standing outside. When he spotted Clara, he wave happily at her. Clara waved back. When Clara got out of the car, Amelia smiled at her and said, "Good luck, Chickie, and have fun!"

When Clara walked up to Alex, the man cocked his head and inquired, "'Chickie'?"

Clara gave an embarrassed laugh and said, "It's Amelia's nickname for me. It's short for 'chiquita'. It means 'little girl', I think."

Alex laughed and said, "You're not that little."

"Thanks." Clara said with a smile.

Alex gave Clara an appraising look. He then smiled and said, "Clara, you look gorgeous."

Clara blushed a little bit and said, "Thank you. Shall we go?"

"Right." Alex said with a laugh. "On to the film."

With that, they walked into the cinema. They examined the options. "Definitely not a horror film." Alex decided. "Don't want you to get scared."

"I can handle a little horror film." Clara said with mock offense. 

"How about a romance film?" Alex suggested.

"Too cliché." Clara replied. 

Eventually, Clara and Alex settled on an animated movie. They paid for their tickets, bought a bucket of popcorn, and headed into the theatre to watch the film. As they watched the film, they shared the popcorn. On a particularly sad scene, Clara started to sniffle. Alex reached over and put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. For some reason, Clara's thoughts once again went to the Doctor. For the briefest of moments, she almost wished that it was him who was holding her and not Alex. When her date reached over to take her hand in his, Clara resolved to not think about the Doctor during her date. He wasn't interested in her romantically. Alex was potentially interested in her. Her mind made up, Clara let out a sigh and relaxed into Alex's hold. She spent the rest of the film in that position. When the film was over, they left with smiles on their faces, though Clara's was ever so slightly less enthusiastic and a tiny bit forced, but Alex didn't seem to notice. "What did you think?" Alex asked.

"It was pretty good." Clara replied. "The book was better, though."

"I've never read the book." Alex said with a shrug. 

"You should." Clara said insistently. "It's really good."

"I might do that." Alex said with a smile. 

There was a brief silence before Alex said, "I know we split the popcorn, but are you still hungry?"

Clara shrugged and said, "I'm a little bit peckish."

"Maybe we could go out for something to eat." Alex suggested. 

Clara once again banished thoughts of the Doctor from her head, memories of eating with him in the TARDIS' kitchen. The impossible girl smiled and said, "I'd like that."

So at that, Clara got into Alex's car and drove to a fairly nice restaurant. They walked in and sat down at a table with a fairly nice view. One of the servers handed them each a menu. Looking over the menu, Alex asked, "What would you like?"

Clara thought about it for a while before replying, "I think the chicken parmesan sounds good."

Alex nodded and said, "I'll try the salmon."

The two of them ordered their dishes. When their dishes came to them, they both happily dug in. Clara let out a pleased hum and said, "This is really good."

Alex shrugged and said, "Mine isn't bad, but it doesn't have as nice a sear as I'd like."

"It still looks good." Clara said.

The two chatted over dinner, discussing various subjects. One of the things that was brought up was Clara's pregnancy. To her surprise and delight, Alex told her that he wouldn't mind dating a single mother of an infant after Clara had her baby. Once they were done, Alex paid. He offered to give Clara a ride home, but she decided that she wanted a ride from Amelia. She didn't know why. She just had the feeling that she should. When Amelia pulled up next to the cinema, Clara smiled at Alex and said, "Thanks. I had a nice night."

"A beauty like you deserves a nice night." Alex replied. "If you don't mind, I'd like to see you some other night."

Clara shrugged and said, "Maybe."

Alex smiled at Clara and said, "Think about it. That's all I'm asking."

Clara smiled back and said, "I'll think about it."

"Good." Alex said. 

Alex then did something that surprised Clara. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. It was gentle but forceful. Again, for the briefest fraction of a second, Clara almost wished that Alex was someone else- someone who was very skinny, had curly grey hair, and dressed in a magician's coat. Almost immediately, Clara forced those thoughts out of her head and returned Alex's kiss. When they parted, Alex smiled and said, "Until I see you again, Clara Oswald."

When Clara got into Amelia's car, the American woman grinned at her and said, "Way to go, Chickie!"

Clara smiled back and said, "You know what? I think I will go out with him again."

"You'd better." Amelia said. "That way, you can snag yourself a boyfriend."

When Amelia said 'boyfriend', Clara's thoughts once again went to a certain man who really hated the word 'boyfriend'. She shook her head. Once she went on a few more dates with Alex, she wouldn't ever think about the Doctor at inopportune times again. 

Had Amelia known about the situation between Clara and the Doctor, she would have told her friend that her plans were easier said than done. 

oooooooooooooooooooo

Week 28

Clara was extremely relieved. Sure, she still got cranky, bloated, sore, constipated, and she had to pee every hour on the hour, but at least her morning sickness finally seemed to have gone away. She's only had to wait for her third trimester to begin for it to happen. In her opinion, that was too long to wait. Still, over meant over. She hadn't vomited in three whole days. She could now eat normal food! Well, she could keep it down, anyway. Sort of normal. She still liked that alien snack that tasted like chocolate and bacon. Unfortunately, she had run out of them, which was why she was sitting on the sofa in Alex's flat, watching the telly and eating actual bacon and chocolate. Alex wrinkled his nose and said, "That's gross, Clara."

Clara swallowed a bite and said, "Don't complain about my chocolate and bacon. I actually have a friend who ate snakes."

Alex frowned and said, "Ew."

There was a brief silence before Alex asked, "Clara, why won't you invite me to your home?"

Clara shrugged and said, "I don't know. I just like my privacy."

Well, that and the fact that the Doctor showed up unannounced every other day. The Time Lord actually didn't know about Clara's boyfriend. There was that word again: boyfriend. It felt so surreal to use it, but she and Alex were officially seeing each other. No, the Doctor didn't know. For a second, Clara felt guilty, but then she told herself that her love life was none of the Doctor's business. It helped, but not quite as much as she'd like. She was developing strong feelings for Alex. He said that he wouldn't mind dating a woman with a child. She could actually see a future with him. Unfortunately, that future would have to be extremely normal. Normal meant no adventures, no TARDIS, no Doctor. The idea of a life without those things made Clara's heart ache, but some part of her felt that her baby deserved a safe, normal life. Another part of her, however, wanted to go on adventures, to carry her baby around with her as the Doctor showed her amazing things. Unfortunately, that left Clara with painful truth. One day, she'd have to choose between a safe, normal life with Alex and an exciting but often dangerous life of adventure with the Doctor. She wished that she wouldn't have to choose, but she knew that she would probably have to. Clara held back a sigh and sat there in silence. Once the thing that they were watching was over, Clara stood up and said, "Well, I'm going home."

Alex smiled and said, "See you next Wednesday."

Right. They were going out on a date the following Wednesday. The Doctor showed up every other day. She could catch him some other day. She would still spend time with him. Until she had to make her choice, that is. It wasn't fair, but it was how life seemed to go for her. She just wished that she didn't have to choose. She glanced back at Alex, who had stood up from the sofa. He smiled at her and asked, "Are you sure that I can't take you home?" Alex's voice turned sultry as he winked at her and said, "We could have a little fun."

Clara grinned awkwardly and said, "Sorry, Alex. I'm going to call a friend for a ride."

Clara could tell that Alex was disappointed when he said, "Oh. Well, there's no harm in asking, right? But one of these days, you are going to say yes."

Since they had started dating, Clara and Alex had not had sex, and it was not for lack of him trying. It was just that, whenever he brought it up, some part of her screamed, 'not yet'. He acted calm, but Clara suspected that Alex was getting frustrated. She didn't know why he, or anyone else, would want her anyway. She was the size of a house, for goodness' sake! Clara said, "I'll think about it."

Clara wanted to be in charge of if or when Alex came to her flat and when they had sex. This was probably due to her control freakishness. She knew that the Doctor was sometimes frustrated by it, but he was used to it. Alex seemed to be having trouble getting used to it, but he seemed like he was willing to wait to go to her flat or have sex. Still, Alex brought it up almost every time he saw her. With him, sex would be planned. With the Doctor, sex sort of just happened. Over the past few months, he had even held her afterwards. She wondered if Alex would hold her afterwards. Clara frowned. Why was she comparing Alex to the Doctor again? It made no sense. She saw a shadow flicker across Alex's face, as if he knew what she was thinking, but it was quickly replaced by a smile. "Well, have a nice day, Clara." He said.

Clara gave a forced smile and said, "I'll see you on Wednesday."

With that, Clara left. There were three men in her life: the Doctor, Alex, and Jack. Two of them were in a platonic relationship with her, one of them had sex with her a few weeks ago, two of them flirted with her, and one of them, she hoped that she was in love with. Both Alex and the Doctor were very important to Clara. One of them was her best friend and showed her the most amazing things. The other was her boyfriend who wanted to take things seriously with her. It wasn't fair to compare her best friend and her boyfriend, but she found herself doing it anyway. If only she knew why. Her heart secretly knew, but her mind was clueless. 

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Week 29

It was the Wednesday where Clara would be going out with Alex. She had put her makeup on and done her hair. She was dressed up in her little black maternity dress and those cute flats with bows on them. She was looking so forward to going out with Alex. They had planned things ahead of time. She still wouldn't let Alex come to her flat. When her ride arrived, Clara sat there in silence. When she arrived outside the restaurant, the car immediately drove away. Suddenly, her mobile went off. Clara answered it. It was Alex. "Sorry, Clara." Alex said. "I'm going to be a little late tonight."

"Oh." Clara said, a little disappointed. 

"Sorry." Alex said once again before hanging up.

Clara let out a sigh and sat down on a bench outside the restaurant. Suddenly, a familiar sound filled the air. It was the sound of the TARDIS materializing. Clara smacked her forehead. She had forgotten about the Doctor and what they did on Wednesdays. Normally, Wednesday was 'their' day, a day where the Doctor dropped Jack off somewhere and took Clara on a trip to see something. Since she had gotten pregnant, Clara's trips had been safe almost to the point of boring. The TARDIS' door was flung open and the Doctor popped his head out. "Clara!" He said gleefully.

The Doctor then grabbed Clara by the hand and pulled her into the TARDIS. The door closed behind them. The Doctor dashed over to the console and started pressing buttons and pulling levers. "After you got arrested, I've decided that you should go to a 22nd century spa. It'll be good for you and the baby." the Doctor said.

Clara let out a sigh and said, "I can't do it today, Doctor."

The Time Lord turned to his companion and asked, "Why not?"

Clara stood up straight, displaying confidence as se said, "I have a date."

"A date?" the Doctor questioned, his voice sounding oddly strained. 

"A date." Clara confirmed. "With my boyfriend, Alex."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Doctor scowled. Boyfriend. Clara had a boyfriend and she hadn't told him about it. He had a right to know, didn't he? The Doctor felt an unpleasant, clenching feeling in his chest that was absolutely not jealousy. "You have a date." the Doctor said stiffly.

"A date with my boyfriend." Clara said with an awkward smile. 

"What about..." the Doctor made a gesture towards Clara's bulging abdomen. 

Clara smiled and said, "He said he doesn't mind dating a pregnant woman, and that he wouldn't mind dating a woman with an infant afterwards."

"So you're dating him." the Doctor said gruffly. "And he'll be an important part of our child's life."

"You'll be an important part of the baby's life, too." Clara replied, placing her hands on her hips. 

The Doctor's frown deepened. He wouldn't play second fiddle to Clara's human boyfriend. He had so looked forward to raising his son with Clara. Now, she wanted to raise their son with her stupid boyfriend. A man who was completely unsuited and clueless wanted to raise Clara's child. The Doctor had planned for their son's human aspects to be attended to by Clara and his Time Lord aspects to be explained by himself. That wouldn't happen if Clara raised the child with her boyfriend and not with the Doctor. There was only one thing that he could do. The Doctor took a deep breath and said, "When the baby is born, he's going to stay with me."

"What?" Clara gasped, astounded. 

"Your boyfriend is completely unsuited for raising a Time Lord's child." the Doctor explained. "It would be better for everyone, including my son, that he be raised by me."

"Doctor, I want to raise our son." Clara said with a frown.

"You can always have other children." the Doctor said bitterly. "Completely human children that you can raise with your boyfriend."

"Doctor-" Clara tried to say, but the Doctor interrupted her. 

"Though he'll probably be your husband by then." the Doctor snapped. 

"Doctor, I have the right to raise my son." Clara snapped back. "I'm his mother, for god's sake!"

The Doctor clenched his fists. Fury in his eyes, he shouted, "You could never be a good mother to him!"

Clara recoiled as if she had been struck. A wave of regret crashed over the Doctor. His companion quickly made her way towards the TARDIS' door. "Clara, wait!" the Doctor called out.

Standing right by the door, Clara gave a full body shudder. She then turned around and, in a voice as cold as ice, she said, "I hate you."

With that said, she opened the door, walked out, and slammed it shut behind her. The Doctor's shoulders slumped in defeat. She hated him. Clara Oswald hated him. The Doctor brought his hand up and ran it through his silver curls. He actually would have preferred it if Clara had just struck him. Instead, she had said words that hurt the Doctor more than anything else. Perhaps he had hurt her more. The thought of hurting Clara Oswald brought him more agony than he could describe. He didn't want to hurt her, he never wanted to hurt her because he loved her and-

The Doctor froze. He had just admitted to himself something that he had been denying to himself for over a year. Now that he had realized the truth, he knew that he could no longer deny it.

He was hopelessly in love with Clara Oswald.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

When Clara exited the TARDIS, she immediately buried her face in her hands and started to cry. She couldn't believe that the Doctor had said that, that she would never be a good mother to their son. She let out a choked sob as the TARDIS dematerialized behind her. Clara looked at the restaurant in front of her. She couldn't go out with Alex now. Pulling out her mobile, she dialed Amelia's number. The American quickly answered. Amelia's Hispanic American accent brought Clara the ever so slightest sense of relief. "Hola, Chickie!" Amelia said cheerfully. "How's the date with Alex?"

Clara let out a choked sob. Immediately, Amelia's tone turned serious. "Clara, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I just want to go home." Clara whispered, her voice full of indescribable pain. 

"I'll be right over." Amelia said before hanging up. 

When Amelia arrived, she exited her car and walked over to Clara. Clara flung her arms around her friend and sobbed into her shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Chickie." Amelia said, trying to comfort her friend. "What happened?"

"Please, Amelia." Clara said softly. "Please just take me home."

Amelia nodded and led Clara to the car. The two women got in and Amelia drove the car in silence. When they arrived at Clara's block of flats, Amelia put her hand on Clara's shoulder and said, "Look, if it helps, I'll stay over tonight."

Clara sniffled and said, "If that's not too much trouble."

"It's no trouble at all, Chickie." Amelia said, giving Clara's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

So, the two women headed up to Clara's flat. When they arrived, they saw that Clara's door was slightly ajar. Worried, Clara opened the door. She was shocked when she saw what was inside. Her furniture was knocked over, her couch cushions slashed and her telly smashed. Everything was broken. Terrible things were spray painted on the wall. The wall read, 'whore' and 'tease'. That wasn't even the worst of it. Also written on the wall was 'next time' and 'I know your secret'. A look of utter terror appeared on Clara's face. She turned to Amelia, whose face was full of rage. Angrily, Amelia said in a tone that left no room for questions, "I'll call the police. In the meantime, you're going to stay with me and Pavarti for while."

Clara nodded mutely. That seemed like a very good idea. Her flat wasn't safe anymore and whoever had ransacked it might not know where she would be staying. Amelia pulled Clara into a hug and said, "Don't worry, Clara. I'll protect you."

Fresh tears started streaming from Clara's eyes. Amelia's words had sounded like something the Doctor would say. But she could never go back. Not when the Doctor was completely willing to cause her so much pain. Amelia took Clara's hand in hers and led her away. Clara had stopped crying by the time she had gotten into Amelia's car. A look of utter despair was on Clara's face. 

Amelia, however, was burning with rage, but she had stony look on her face. She knew that Clara's ransacked home was not what had hurt her first. A person had hurt Clara. If Amelia ever found who broke her friend, her Chickie, she would beat the ever-loving shit out of them. This, she promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this chapter is evil. I had to brainstorm it for a while, but hopefully I did make it evil enough. Remember, this is a 12/Clara story. If you know anything about these stories, you will know that the characters' pain and angst won't last forever.


	11. Chapter 11: Broken Hearts And Battered Heads

Finding whoever had broken into Clara's flat didn't seem to be a priority for the police. After all, it was just breaking and entering. No one had been injured. Clara frowned. She was still scared. Amelia didn't want her to go outside without her. Clara didn't like that. Living in fear was no way to live. Still, she had to stay with her friends until her locks were changed and whoever had broken in lost interest. Maybe that was wishful thinking. Whoever was changing the locks was taking forever to change them. Clara sat down at the table with a sigh. Across the table was Amelia, who was eating some sort of Mexican dish with a name that Clara couldn't remember. The American smiled at her friend and said, "Don't worry, Chickie. They'll catch him eventually."

　

Clara smiled at Amelia and said, "I hope so."

　

The intruder wasn't the only thing on Clara's mind. As much as she tried not to think about the Doctor, she still couldn't keep thoughts of him entirely out of her head. She was so angry at him. She was so hurt by him. She wanted to forget him, but it was not easy to forget someone who had been such an important part of her life. He had been so wonderful, but when she last saw him he had seemed to easily find it in himself to hurt her. No, Clara didn't want to think about him. She had other things to focus about, like her looming due date. It would only be two months until she was ready to give birth. She would finally meet her son. The Doctor would not be there for her, she thought bitterly. He would not be there to witness the birth of their son. All this was because the Doctor had hurt her so deeply. He had been her best friend, which made things even worse. Just thinking about it made Clara want to cry again. As if sensing her friend's thoughts, Amelia gently said, "It'll be okay. Pavarti and I will be here for you."

　

Clara forced a smile. Amelia smiled back and said, "You know what? If he tries to come here, I'll beat the shit out of him. Him or whoever it was that made you cry. I assume it was your baby-daddy."

　

Clara let out a sigh and nodded. "The creep shouldn't have abandoned you." Amelia said angrily. "I'll cut off his _cajones_ with a pair of kitchen shears for what he did to you. I'll beat his ass all the way to Mexico. I know people there."

　

"How can you know people there?" Clara asked. "You've never even been to Mexico."

　

"All right, so the only person I know in Mexico is my mother." Amelia said with a shrug. "I'll still beat his ass."

　

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I don't think you'll need to." Clara said with a sad smile. "I'll probably never see him again."

　

"He'd better not show his face here." Amelia growled. "I'll beat his head in with the business end of a cricket bat."

　

"Don't kill him!" Clara said hastily.

　

"You're right." Amelia said. "He's not worth it. I'll just beat the crap out of him and call it self-defense."

　

Clara smiled at her friend. She knew that, though Amelia was very capable of inflicting injury- she once put someone who tried to mug her in the hospital- it would be very unlikely that she would actually kill someone. Besides, though Clara had been hurt deeply by him, some part of her still cared for the Doctor. That part of her wouldn't go away overnight. She wanted him to take her in his arms, for him to tell her that he was sorry and that he didn't mean what he had said. She just wanted to stop hurting. Clara wanted to forget about the Doctor. Unfortunately, there was the possibility that her son would grow to look like the Doctor. That meant that, every time she looked at him, her son would remind her of the Doctor. If she wasn't able to get past this, she would hurt for the rest of her life. Noticing the shadow that had fallen over Clara's face, Amelia smiled comfortingly and said, "Hey, don't worry about it, okay? You and your baby will still have Auntie Amelia and Aunt Pavarti. Any time you need help, just look to us, okay?"

　

"Yeah." Amelia said. "And we'll be proper aunts, too."

　

"What do you mean?" Clara asked.

　

Amelia reached into her pocket and pulled out a small felt box. Clara's eyes widened. "You're going to propose!" she whispered.

　

"Yeah." Amelia said with a smile. "Me and Pavarti have been seeing eachother over Skype for three years. I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

　

"I can't wait to go to your wedding." Clara said with a smile. "Your aunt and the rest of your family will be there, won't they? I'd like to meet them."

　

Amelia grinned awkwardly and scratched her head. "Well, that's the problem." she said awkwardly.

　

"What's the problem?" Clara asked.

　

"They... kind of don't know that I'm gay." Amelia admitted

　

"Are you going to tell them?" Clara asked.

　

"Are you kidding?" Amelia scoffed. "My aunt's brand new husband of one year doesn't even know that she's Mexican! How do you think he's going to react when he finds out that his new neice is 'a threat to the sanctity of marriage'?"

　

"A threat to the sanctity of marriage?" Clara echoed.

　

"Don't know how that works. Maybe his buddies are afraid that I'll steal their wives." Amelia said with a shrug. "Anyway, I'm not going to invite them to my wedding. Period."

　

Clara nodded. She then yawned. Amelia eyed Clara and said, "Tired, Chickie?"

　

"Yeah." Clara replied. "I'm going to bed."

　

"Nighty Night." Amelia said with a smile.

　

Clara yawned, "Good night."

　

Clara then headed off to bed. Amelia noticed that Clara had left her phone on the table. Amelia shrugged. She'd bring it to Clara in the morning. In the meantime, she would enjoy her snack.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Since Clara had left, the Doctor missed her so much that it was unbearable. It was absolutely his fault, too. Since Clara had left, he had tried to keep his mind occupied with adventures, but even that was not enough. The other day, the Doctor had discovered Jack Harkness' massive stash of hypervodkas. So, he did the only thing he could when faced with broken hearts. He went on the mother of all binges. He hadn't been sober in three days. No, he was just stuck in a state of perpetual inebriation. Even that wasn't enough to get Clara off his mind. The Doctor threw back another shot of hypervodka. He was an idiot. He had gotten jealous and chased Clara away. Jack had come very close to punching him when he found out. The reason Jack only came close was because the Doctor dodged it. The Time Lord let out a groan when he heard footsteps approaching him. "You know, Doc," Jack said, "This has got to stop. You've got to talk to Clara."

　

"I don't want to." the Doctor said sadly, his voice heavily slurred. "She hates me."

　

"Doc, she doesn't hate you." Jack said, folding his arms over his chest. "She's just mad at you. Just kiss and make up."

　

"If I kiss her, she'll hate me more." the Doctor grumbled.

　

"Talk to her, Doc!" Jack said insistantly.

　

"Go away!" the Doctor slurred.

　

"Ugh." Jack groaned. "You are _impossible_ to deal with when you are like this! Just fucking talk to her!"

　

With that, Jack walked away. The Doctor's shoulders slumped once more. He wanted Clara back. He wanted her so bad. He glanced at the TARDIS' phone. An idea came to him. He threw down another shot of liquid courage before staggering over to the console, picking up the phone, and dialing a number.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Just as Amelia had finished drying the dishes, she heard Clara's phone start ringing it. She set the dish towel down and walked over to the table. She picked up the phone and answered it, "Hello, Clara's phone."

　

A male voice on the other end of the phone, badly slurred, moaned sadly, " _Clara_..."

　

"Who is this?" Amelia asked.

　

"It's your Doctor." the obviously drunk man replied.

　

"And I'm not Clara." Amelia said with a frown. "Who is this?"

　

"I'm the Doctor." the drunken man replied. "Who are you?"

　

"I'm Amelia." the American woman replied. She then narrowed her eyes and said, "You're not the creep who's been bothering Clara, are you?"

　

"... Amy?" the man slurred softly.

　

"No, Amelia." Amelia snapped. "I'm not an 'Amy'."

　

There was a choked sob on the other end before the man said, "Amy, I miss her so much!"

　

"Not Amy!" Amelia corrected before saying. "Look, if you're calling Clara at three in the morning, call back some other time."

　

"I can't call her." the drunk man said sadly. "She hates me."

　

"If she hates you, then don't call again." Amelia said coldly.

　

"I miss her!" the voice whined

　

Amelia smacked her forehead before saying, "Look, if you miss Clara, then too bad. If she hates you, then don't call, _pendejo_! If you're the one who made her cry for almost three days straight, don't you dare call again."

　

There was a pause before the voice said weakly, "I made her cry for three days?"

　

"Yeah." Amelia replied coldly. "So stay the hell away and don't call again."

　

With that, Amelia ended the call. She leaned against the counter and sighed. With as hard as things had been for Clara, maybe it would be best if she didn't tell her about the call. Amelia knew that it would just make things bad for Clara again. It was for the best that no one talk about the call. Besides, if this doctor was as drunk as he seemed, he probably wouldn't even remember drunk dialing Clara's phone anyway.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 31

　

Against Amelia's advice, Clara had gone back to work. She noticed that Alex wasn't there. Had the creep done something to him? Clara was very worried. Still, she did her job and she did it well. Shaping young minds was something that she was passionate about. Otherwise, she wouldn't have become a teacher. Of course, every time Clara got off of work, Amelia would come pick her up. Amelia never talked about exactly what her job was like, but whoever her boss was, they seemed to understand. At this point, Clara was absolutely huge. She was nearly eight months along. Her bladder was under so much pressure that she had to pee every fifty seconds. Well, it wasn't fifty seconds. It was more like every fifty minutes. When Clara walked into Amelia and Pavarti's home, she saw Pavarti sitting on the sofa. A whole bunch of gifts were on the table, wrapped in pretty paper. "It's not my birthday." Clara said. "What's going on?"

　

"It's your baby shower." Amelia replied.

　

Clara gave a sincere smile. Amelia had told her that she was going to throw a baby shower. Clara walked over to the sofa and sat down next to Pavarti. Amelia took a seat next to Clara and set a gift on the small table in front of the sofa. "Open it." Amelia said with a grin.

　

Clara unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside was roughly a dozen blue onesies. Clara took one out to look at it. Written on it was 'My Mummy Loves Me'. "Cute." Clara said.

　

Amelia set the gift aside and brought Clara another one. "I don't know what's in this one." the American said. "This one is from Pavarti."

　

Clara, of course, opened this gift. Inside the box was several bottles and another box. Clara lifted the smaller box out of the box and took a look at it. It was a breast pump. A practical gift from the practical Pavarti. The next gift was very small. Clara opened that one to find out that it was an Alice Cooper CD. Clara gave Amelia a strange look. "It's for the baby to listen to." Amelia explained.

　

"Aren't babies supposed to listen to Mozart?" Pavarti joked.

　

"My uncle's son listened to Mozart as a baby and look how he turned out." Amelia replied.

　

"Point taken." Pavarti said with a grimace.

　

An arrow of sadness shot through Clara's heart as she thought back to the time that the Doctor had taken her to meet Mozart. She really had to stop thinking about the Doctor. It hurt. A lot. Clara turned her attention back to her friends. Another gift, this time one of a massive pack of nappies. Then a baby swing. Then a crib that needed to be assembled. Then some blankets. Some toys. A variety of other things that a baby and its mother might need. Tears came to Clara's eyes. It was probably the hormones, but she started crying. "You girls are wonderful!" Clara sobbed.

　

"Hey, that's what friends are for, Chickie." Amelia said with a smile.

　

"All right, then." Pavarti said. "Now that the gifts are open, it's time for the cake."

　

"And the tequila." Amelia added.

　

"You can't give Clara tequila!" Pavarti admonished.

　

"Who said it was for Clara?" Amelia replied with a grin.

　

So, the cake was served. It was chocolate with bits of bacon sprinkled on top. Clara almost cried again. It was her favorite. She gave Amelia and Pavarti as close a hug as her stomach would allow. Clara was served some sparkling juice, while Amelia drank her tequila. The woman really could hold her liquor. That night, Clara was so happy that she almost didn't think about the Doctor. Almost.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 32

　

The day before, after being told off for the umpteenth time by Jack, the Doctor had sobered up. Jack's reasoning was that, one, Clara wouldn't want to see him like that and two, he was running out of hypervodka. The time he was drunk was a bit of a blur and there was one night that he couldn't remember at all. Right now, he was nursing the mother of all hangovers. Still, he was sitting in the chair in the console room, moping. He was stewing in his sorrow at the absence of the woman he loved. At least the TARDIS hadn't played anything in a while. He didn't know if he could take another love song. It was clear now that the ship had been trying to set the mood to try to get he and Clara together. The Doctor sighed and buried his face in one of his hands. Damn hangover. While the Doctor was moping, the TARDIS began to play a song. It was, interestingly enough, another Michael Bolton slong- _How Can We Be Lovers_. The Doctor scowled and said, "Do you _mind_?"

　

The TARDIS just played the song louder. The Doctor's frown deepened. He headed over to the console to fiddle with the communication circuits a bit to turn the song off. When it finally stopped, the Doctor let out a sigh He then headed back over to his chair to resume his session of moping. At last, he could loathe himself in peace. Hopefully the TARDIS wouldn't start playing it agai-

　

' _How can we be lovers when we can't be friends?_ '

　

Damn it!

　

' _How can we start over when the fighting never ends, baby_?'

　

The damn ship is being childish. Don't acknowledge her.

　

A little bit louder, this time- ' _How can we make love if we can't make amends_?'

　

No matter how pushy the TARDIS is, he wil _not_ seek out Clara and talk to her.

　

' _How can we be lovers if we can't be, can't be fri_ -"

　

"Oh, for the love of all things not stupid!" the Doctor barked. "All right, all right! I'll go talk to her!"

　

With that, the Doctor went over to the console and set about locating Clara. She wasn't in her flat. No, she was in a flat rented by one Dr Pavarti Patil. The Doctor immediately took the TARDIS to the location. He made his way over to the door. It was locked. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and used it to unlock the door. With that done, he walked in. It was very dark. All the lights were off. This was no surprise, considering it was very late at night. Though he had superior vision and could see well enough, he still managed to knock over a vase.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Amelia was immediately roused from her sleep by the sound of something breaking. Having felt the bed move, Pavarti murmured, "What is it?"

　

"Stay here." Amelia instructed.

　

Amelia got out of bed and retrieved the cricket bat that she kept in the closet with her other cricket things. She then silently crept out of her room and down the hall. She peeked into the living room, where she saw the silouette of a man. When the man turned away, Amelia charged. She swung her cricket bat, hard, at the back of the man's head. The bat made contact with a loud crack and the man dropped to the ground. The light was turned on and Clara and Pavarti walked in to find Amelia standing over a prone man, brandishing her cricket bat and yelling at him in angry Spanish. Clara recognized the man immediately. " _Doctor_?" she gasped.

　

"Don't worry, Clara!" Amelia said angrily. "This creep won't hurt you again. Pavarti, call the police."

　

"No!" Clara cried. "Don't call the police!"

　

"This isn't the guy who broke in?" Pavarti questioned.

　

"No." Clara replied before hesitantly explaining, "He's... a friend."

　

"Oh." Amelia said sheepishly. "So I shouldn't beat the crap out of him?"

　

"That remains to be seen." Clara said with a sigh. "Let's get him up on the sofa."

  
" _You_ are not lifting this man." Amelia said sternly. "Pavarti, can you help me move him?"

　

Pavarti nodded and the two women moved the Doctor to the sofa. Clara, Pavarti, and Amelia waited for a while. When the Doctor finally woke up, he saw three women looking at him. One of them had a cricket bat. The Doctor grimaced as he touched the back of his head. That would leave a sizeable lump later. At least nothing was broken. "So." the woman with the cricket bat said. "Who are you and what are you doing in me and my partner's apartment?"

　

"I'm the Doctor." the Doctor replied. "I came to see Clara."

　

The Doctor looked straight at Clara. Clara fiddled with her hair a bit before admitting, "Amelia, he's the father of my child."

　

Amelia paused for a moment before realizing that she recognized the man's voice, though it had been badly slurred last time she heard it. "You!" she barked, pointing her cricket bat at the Doctor. "You hurt Clara! You broke into her apartment, wrote nasty things on her wall, and broke her shit!"

　

"I did not break into her flat and vandalize it!" the Doctor snapped.

　

Clara let out a sigh of relief. She knew all along that it hadn't been the Doctor. It just wasn't like him to do something like that. Amelia turned to Clara and said, "He didn't break into your apartment."

　

Clara nodded. Amelia continued, "So he's your baby-daddy and he made you cry for three straight days?"

　

Clara turned red with embarrassment, but she nodded. "Three straight days?" the Doctor echoed. His posture then changed. It was that of a man who was filled with regret and shame.

　

Suddenly, Amelia screamed, "I'll kill you!" and swung her cricket bat at the Doctor's head.

　

The Doctor was, thankfully, able to dodge the swing. Pavarti lunged at her partner and pulled her back, restraining her. "Is she insane?" the Doctor questioned, clearly annoyed.

　

"I'm honestly not sure." Pavarti replied. "But you did hurt her friend in a pretty deep way. Her very _pregnant_ friend."

　

"She almost never smiles!" Amelia snapped. "When she does, it's forced! You did this to her!"

　

Another heavy wave of shame crashed over the Doctor. He looked directly at Clara, who was refusing to look at him. He stood up and walked over to her. Cupping her chin in his hand, he gently turned her head so she would look at him. Ever so quietly, he said, "I'm sorry."

　

Clara's breath hitched. She then whispered, "What?"

　

"I shouldn't have said what I said." the Doctor admitted.

　

Clara looked away from the Doctor once more and said, "Maybe you were right. Maybe I won't make a good mother for him."

　

"Clara, look at me." the Doctor said.

　

Clara looked at the Doctor, who continued, "You won't be a bad mother."

　

Clara choked back a sob as tears started streaming from her eyes. The Doctor immediately stepped back and said, "You're doing the crying thing. What did I say this time?"

　

"I'm sorry. It's the hormones." Clara sniffled. "I just missed you so much!"

　

The Doctor cupped Clara's cheek and softly said, "I missed you, too."

　

They stared into eachother's eyes for several long, silent seconds. Suddenly, Clara stood up on her tip-toes, pressing her body as close to the Doctor's as she could, and crashed her mouth to his. The Doctor hesitantly wrapped his arms around her before deepening the kiss. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, but he was too much of a coward to do it now.

　

Suddenly, the Doctor stepped back. "Somebody broke into your flat and sprayed bad things on your wall?" he realized.

　

"Shut up." Clara mumbled. "Talk later." She then pulled his face back down to hers.

　

Meanwhile, Amelia and Pavarti stood watching silently as the Doctor and Clara kissed passionately. Finally, Amelia commented, "Well, it looks like all is finally well in Claraland."

　

With that, Amelia took Pavarti by the hand and led her back into their room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, things are happy again. Our heroes are together once more. I'm kind of sad to say that the story will be over in just a few more chapters. I hope you've loved this story as much as I have.


	12. Chapter 12: Accusations And Realizations

Week 33

　

It had been a week since Clara and the Doctor had made up. The first night back, Clara had actually slept in the Doctor's bed instead of her own. They didn't have sex. They just laid there, taking comfort in one another's company. Jack was quite pleased to see Clara return, too. The first thing he said to her after he welcomed her back was that she was 'one hot mama'. Upon spotting the murderous glare the Doctor was shooting his way, Jack grinned and gave Clara a friendly, non-sexual, hands-above-the-waist hug. Jack knew that Clara was off-limits. Still, just because he was on a diet didn't mean that he couldn't still read the menu, right? Currently, what the trio was doing actually was reading menus at a quaint little café on an alien planet with an economy that was based almost entirely on the food service industry. "Hmm." Jack thought out loud. "The Feast of Seven Meats sounds good. Imagine, a seventy-two-ounce sandwich with seven different meats, four different cheeses, and five different dipping sauces."

　

"That's because it _is_ good, Harkness." the Doctor said before adding, "You'd never be able to eat the whole thing, though."

　

"Is that a challenge, Doctor?" Jack asked, raising a brow.

　

"No." The Doctor replied. "I'm stating a fact. That sandwich is bigger than your head."

　

"Oh yeah, smart guy?" Jack shot back. "What are _you_ ordering?"

　

"I'm having the _gort'l_." the Doctor replied.

　

"What's _gort'l_?" Clara asked.

　

"It resembles ice cream." the Doctor replied. "Only it tastes like a smoky mayonnaise with hints of citrus and a strong fermented herring aftertaste. They serve it on toast with onions."

　

"That actually sounds kind of disgusting." Jack commented.

　

"If you eat that, I am _not_ kissing you." Clara said with a frown.

　

"I might." Jack said with a wink.

　

The Doctor glared at Jack, who just smiled and returned his attention to the menu. When a server came to take their orders, Jack winked at the server and said, "Hello, gorgeous. I'll have the Feast of Seven Meats."

　

The Doctor scoffed at Jack's antics and said, "I'm ordering the _gort'l_."

　

Clara rolled her eyes and said, "I'll just have the chef salad, with the Tarpazian mustard dressing. Please put some anchovies on that, too. Oh, and chocolate ice cream."

　

"Okay, the _gort'l_ I can handle," Jack said, looking slightly nauseous, "but Clara, your pregnancy cravings are seriously, _seriously_ gross."

　

"How is frozen mayonnaise that tastes like fermented herring somehow less disgusting than a salad with anchovies and chocolate ice cream?" Clara asked.

　

"For once, I agree with Jack." the Doctor said.

　

Jack grinned, but his smile fell when the Doctor continued, "Some pickled tripe would really tie the dish together."

　

Jack looked to be on the edge of vomiting. Clara frowned thoughtfully and said, "You know, I've never had tripe- pickled or otherwise."

　

"The best tripe on Earth comes from the 24th century." the Doctor explained. "But you have to get there _before_ the cattle cataclysm- or as they majority of the human population called it, the 'cattleclysm'- of 2395. After that event, the tripe tastes like cockroaches."

　

"ALL RIGHT, THEN!" Jack declared. He then turned to the server and said, "You know what? Change my order. I think I'll just have the soup and sandwich combo. Make it a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup."

　

"All right, then!" the server said as she finished writing down their orders. "I'll be back with your food shortly!"

　

With that, the server pranced off. Jack took a sip from the glass of water that the server had left in front of him. "So," Jack commented, "any ideas for a name for the kid yet?"

　

Clara let out a flustered groan and said, "We can't agree on one."

　

"None of the names you pick are meaningful." the Doctor argued.

　

"All of the names you suggest are too strange, impossible to pronounce, or are guaranteed to cause our son to get picked on!" Clara argued back.

　

"I have a suggestion." Jack said, raising a hand slightly.

　

"For the last time, we are _not_ naming him 'Jack', Jack!" Clara groaned.

　

"I wasn't going to suggest that." Jack replied, raising his hands defensively. "I just had an idea. You wanted an easy-to-say name that won't get your kid picked on, right, Clara? Doc, you want a meaningful name."

　

The Doctor and Clara both nodded. Jack then continued, "So, here's my idea. How about you name the kid 'John Smith Oswald'? No hyphen."

　

"John Smith Oswald?" Clara echoed.

　

"Yeah, I mean, 'John Smith' is the Doc's favorite alias and you can't exactly name him 'Doctor Junior'." Jack elaborated. "'John Smith' from Doc, 'Oswald' from Clara. Meaningful enough, right? Also, John Oswald also isn't a name that is likely to get the kid picked on. Win-freaking-win."

　

The Doctor and Clara stared at Jack. The Doctor was the first to speak up. "You're an idiot." the Time Lord said bluntly.

　

"Although," Clara said thoughtfully, "John Smith Oswald isn't the worst name that's been suggested, and we can't agree on anything else."

　

"Also," Jack said with a grin, "Guys named John can also be called 'Jack'. As Uncle Jack, I look forward to meeting Little Jack."

　

The Doctor shot Jack a potent glare. Jack just kept grinning. The Doctor groaned and said, "Fine. We'll think about it, but if you ever refer to him as 'Little Jack' again, I'm throwing you out of the TARDIS, and I can't guarantee that it'll be someplace with breathable air when I do."

　

"All right, all right." Jack said with a helpless smile. "I won't call Mini-Doc 'Little Jack'."

　

" _Mini-Doc_?" the Doctor groaned.

　

Jack shrugged and said, "At least it's not 'Little Jack'."

　

"Well, whatever we name him, one thing's for sure: he will be completely unique." Clara said with a smile as she rubbed her bump affectionately.

　

The Doctor couldn't help but smile back and reply, "That he will."

　

"I, for one," Jack declared, "look forward to the day when I will be able to watch Clara eat and not run the risk of losing my lunch."

　

"This is coming from a man who ate snakes and bugs in the jungle." Clara said, feeling a bit annoyed. "You shaved your beard, but you still have a moustache! You really need to shave it."

　

"Why?" Jack asked. "It makes me look manly."

　

"Your moustache frightens children." Clara said bluntly. "It also-"

　

Clara blushed and buried her face in her hands. Jack cocked his head and asked, "It also what?"

　

Her face still red, Clara mumbled, "It also looks like all of the hair below your waist migrated to your face."

　

Jack's eyes widened. "Wait, so you're saying that I have a pube-'stache?"

　

"It's unsightly." the Doctor said.

　

"Clara, why did you wait four months to tell me that I have a pubestache?" Jack cried. " _Nobody_ is into men with pubestaches! Pubestaches are gross!"

　

One of the other customers, a yellowish Lithurgian with olive mottling, barked, "If I hear anyone say 'pubestache' again, I'm going to call the manager!"

　

"Enough about Jack's disgusting facial hair." Clara said, deciding to change the subject. "I finally got my locks changed."

　

The table suddenly went silent. The Doctor was the first to speak. "What are you going to do?"

　

Clara paused and replied, "Well, the police say that it's safe for me to move back in and I don't want to keep imposing on Amelia and Pavarti."

　

"You don't have to go back to your apartment." Jack said. "You could always move into the TARDIS."

　

"Then I'd have to hear you sing every morning." Clara said with a frown. "I don't want to live in fear forever."

　

"Clara, he knows where you live!" the Doctor hissed. "Even Cricket Bat Woman and her partner's flat is safer!"

　

"Her name is Amelia Hernandez, not Cricket Bat Woman." Clara corrected. She then continued, "If I move out, this creep wins."

　

The Doctor continued to scowl. Clara tried to lighten things up by joking, "Hey, if he does come back, maybe Amelia will let me borrow one of her cricket bats?"

　

"You're being foolish." the Doctor said harshly. "It's not just yourself that you have to worry about now, Clara."

　

"I know, I know!" Clara sighed. "It's like it's not my home anymore. He's taken that away from me and I want it back."

　

"Stay on the TARDIS." the Doctor said. Left unsaid were the words, _with me_.

　

"Doc's got a point, Clara." Jack said. "At least stay on the ship until you figure things out."

　

"What about my job?" Clara asked.

　

The Doctor was about to protest, but Jack interrupted him and said, "Doc can drop you off and pick you up. You'll have to take a break soon, anyway."

　

Clara let out a sigh and said, "Yeah, all right. I'll do it."

　

The Doctor looked at Clara, a slightly hopeful expression on his face. Clara smiled at the Time Lord and said, "I'll stay on the TARDIS, at least until the baby is born."

　

Jack grinned and clapped his hands together. "Excellent!" he declared. "Now, I'm going to lose the moustache, but I think I'll keep the long hair. I've always wanted to grow a man bun. Man buns are sexy."

　

" _Jack_." Clara groaned. "The universe really doesn't need Jack Harkness in a man bun. Cut your hair or I will."

　

"No, no, I'll do it." Jack said hastily. He didn't want a crazy, hormonal pregnant woman coming at him with a sharp pair of scissors. He liked Clara- he really did- but there were those rare occasions when he did fear for his man parts.

　

The server soon returned with their foods, setting them down in front of each person. The Doctor used a spoon to scoop some _gort'l_ and onions onto a piece of toast. Clara wrinkled her nose at the Doctor's choice of food, but she said nothing and scooped up a forkful of salad greens, various tasty bits, anchovies, and chocolate ice cream. Jack inhaled the vapors of the tomato soup. He smiled and commented, "Ahh. Just like mother used to make it."

　

Jack tore one of his grilled cheese sandwiches in half and dipped it into his tomato soup. He then guided the hot, gooey treat up to his mouth, took a bite, and let out a pleased-sounding hum. There was a clanking sound as the Doctor dropped his spoon on his plate and gaped at Jack with a shocked expression on his face. " _You dip your cheese sandwich into your tomato soup_?" the Doctor said incredulously. "That's _disgusting_!"

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Week 34

　

Clara had been worrying for a while about Alex's whereabouts. Alex had recently been found in his car. Unfortunately, the car was a charred shell and Alex, or what little that was left of him, was so badly burned that his scorched bones were barely identifiable as human. The only thing that even identified him as Alex was a lone pinkie finger. Everybody who knew Alex was upset about the whole thing. Even Clara was wondering, what or who killed Alex Chang? Was it murder or was it some sort of horrible accident? If it was the former, who would want to kill Alex? People kept asking her about it- she _had_ been Alex's girlfriend before he had disappeared. One thing that Clara felt guilty about was that she wasn't as sad about this as she should have been. She held back a sigh and glanced out a window. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw someone watching her. She looked in that direction only to see that whoever might have been there was gone. It was probably nothing. Then again, considering her luck, it might just be something. Or someone. Still, she wasn't sure that she saw anything. She dismissed the thought and returned to her class. "So," Clara said with a smile, "What can you tell me about Oscar Wilde?"

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

It was time for lunch, but Clara had finished her lunch a bit sooner than she had expected. She still had some time. So, she sat in what sunlight she could find and opened her book. It was some supernatural romance that had nothing to do with vampires. So far, none of the scenes were too explicit. As for the vampire thing, it stood to reason that, because vampires are dead, they have no heartbeat. No heartbeat means no blood flow. No blood flow means no erection. Ergo, no vampire sex. Vampire romances were silly anyway, she thought. No, this romance novel was not about vampires. It was about a zombie. Well, it was more of a parody of a romance than an actual romance. The zombie and the woman he loved searched for a cure so his manly bits would work and they could have sex. Clara let out a snort. The premise was stupid, but the book itself was hilarious. She couldn't put it down, though. She was currently at a scene where the zombie and his love interest were being chased through a roller-disco. The one-liners were incredibly cheesy, but that's what made them hilarious. You simply could not take the book seriously. Clara snorted at a particularly stupid line. Suddenly, she got a strange feeling. It was almost as if someone was watching her. She looked up and thought she saw a flash of something, but once again it was out of the corner of her eye and she couldn't tell for sure if it was something. She was starting to get nervous. Clara swallowed and marked her page. She decided to move someplace a little less visible.

　

ooooooooooooooooooo

　

It was time to get off of work and Clara was a bit relieved. She would probably keep working until she was nearly ready to pop. She had that kind of work ethic. That and work kept her mind off her problem with the whole flat situation. She kept paying rent, but she was still staying in the TARDIS for a while. The bed in her bedroom on the time-ship was actually more comfortable than the one in the flat. Quietly, she walked in the direction of the place where the TARDIS usually picked her up. Suddenly, she had that sensation of being watched again. She glanced over her shoulder. Someone was tailing her. She increased her speed and headed in another direction. She would try to shake her tail. After a while, she seemed to succeed. She turned around to try to find her way back and walked into a hard chest. She quickly backed away to see a familiar ginger man. "James!" she gasped, backing away again.

　

"I'm sorry I didn't approach you directly, Clara." James apologized quietly. "There might be a psycho running around. I heard about your flat and about Alex Chang."

　

"What does my flat have to do with Alex?" Clara asked nervously. She knew that she'd never be able to outrun James in her current condition.

　

"Someone breaks into your flat and a couple weeks later your boyfriend dies? It's suspicious." James said with a frown.

　

Clara realized that it was indeed suspicious. It still hadn't been confirmed whether Alex's death was an accident or not. Clara swallowed nervously. Steeling herself, she asked, "What do you want, James?"

　

James reached into his pocket and Clara clutched her bag, prepared to try to defend herself. James pulled a Swiss army knife out of his pocket and then held it out to Clara. "Here." he said. "You can use it to protect yourself."

　

Clara let out a breath that she hadn't been aware she was holding. She reached over and accepted the knife from her ex-boyfriend. James, concerned and serious, asked, "Do you have anyplace safe to stay?"

　

"I'm staying with a friend." Clara replied.

　

"It's that older guy, isn't it?" James asked.

　

Clara nodded and James seemed relieved. "At least you're staying with someone. I guess I shouldn't be upset that you're staying with the man you love and that the man isn't me. I just want you to be safe."

　

Clara was about to tell James that she didn't love the Doctor, but she hesitated. She didn't love him, did she? She frowned slightly. She was starting to realize that it was getting harder and harder to not fall in love with the Doctor, especially with the way he'd been acting these past few months. Well, with the exception of the fight they'd had. Did she love him even before she became pregnant? Did she love him? "I don't love him." Clara said, having hesitated too long for James to believe her.

　

James smiled sadly at Clara and said, "You shouldn't be ashamed if you do. I guess what I've learned from personal experience is that you don't choose who you fall in love with."

　

Clara looked away thoughtfully. James placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Be safe, Clara."

　

With that, James left. As the ginger man walked out of sight, Clara became aware of the sound of the TARDIS materializing nearby. Clara slipped the Swiss army knife into her handbag and headed in the direction of the sound. She had a lot to contemplate, such as the possible connection between Alex's death and the break-in of her flat. Just as importantly, perhaps moreso, she had to figure out something else: just what _were_ the extent of her feelings for the Doctor?

　

oooooooooooooo

　

Week 35

　

On the most recent trip, the Doctor had to go someplace to get a specific part that he was looking for on the planet Anori. Clara, of course, had asked along since it would probably be safe. There was only one problem.

　

"I have pretend to be his _what_?" Clara cried.

　

"I don't like it either," the Doctor replied, "but the age difference is a bit less obvious between you and Jack."

　

"I am not pretending to be Jack's wife." Clara said angrily, folding her arms over her chest.

　

"I don't make the laws on this planet, Clara." the Doctor said, exasperated. "It is illegal for a pregnant woman to venture out unaccompanied by her husband."

　

"You know," Jack suggested, "You could always pretend to be the Doctor's wife."

　

Clara turned slightly pink at the thought. She was about to protest, but the Doctor did it for her "Are you mad, Harkness?" the Doctor snapped.

　

"Why not?" Jack suggested. "You totally have the hots for each other anyway."

　

"I do not have 'the hots' for the Doctor." Clara objected.

　

"It's me or him." Jack replied. "Though if they do have body scans for security, it might be best if you pretended to be Doc's wife 'cause, you know, alien baby and all that. Anorians believe in arranged marriages anyway, so it's not unheard of for married couples to have a sizeable age gap."

　

Clara paused to take this in. She glanced at the Doctor. She then glanced back at Jack. "I suppose I don't have any choice, do I?" Clara asked.

　

"Nope!" Jack said. "None at all."

　

The Doctor grumbled something under his breath. Jack looked at his two friends and jokingly announced, "Clara Oswald and the Doctor, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

So, there they were, walking through the planet's capitol city Anori City. Clara had a fake wedding ring on her hand. Her other hand was being held by the Doctor and they were both trying not to make things look awkward. Clara was still confused regarding how she may or may not feel about the Doctor. The Doctor knew how he felt about Clara, but he could see that she was obviously uncomfortable with the idea of being with him. Clara not seeming comfortable with the idea of being with him was something that made the Doctor uncomfortable. He wanted her to want him, but there was the whole problem of their obvious age difference. Clara's grandmother had said that Clara preferred young, handsome men and Clara had claimed that she hadn't meant it when she said that the Doctor was handsome. That did not leave him with a pleasant feeling. He loved Clara, but she would never feel the same way. There was an obvious physical attraction between the two of them, but romance? It would never happen, no matter how much he wanted it to. He heard Clara whisper, "Do you think it was a good idea for Jack to stay on the TARDIS, alone?"

　

"With you not pretending to be _his_ wife, he'd just get into more trouble here." The Doctor replied quietly.

　

"Point taken." Clara said.

　

The pair headed towards the location where the Doctor could acquire the part that he needed. Once they were there, there was a bit of bartering. Once a deal was made, the Doctor took the part and placed it into one of his pockets. Then, it was time to look at the sights of Anori City. The native species, the Anorians, largely resembled humans, only they had rodent-like ears and multifaceted eyes. There were other species in the city, too. In truth, the city was a cultural melting pot. The Doctor and Clara were currently looking at a large statue at the center of town. The Doctor was explaining the history and behind the statue and the importance of it. Clara was all ears. They quickly became aware of a half-dozen or so Anorians in identical, important-looking blue and silver uniforms. One of them had a blue and gold uniform. He was clearly the leader. "You will come with us." the Leader said firmly.

　

"We didn't do anything!" Clara cried.

　

"You are not in any trouble." the leader said. "Just come with us."

　

Clara looked at the Doctor, who seemed rather annoyed. Unfortunately, the uniformed men were very well-armed and Clara's condition would make it difficult to escape. They had no choice but to follow them. So, they followed the leader of the uniformed men. They were led to a vehicle. They were supposed to ride in it. So, the Doctor and Clara got into the vehicle, followed by the leader of the uniformed men and several other uniformed men. They were then taken across the city. They took the scenic route. Clara couldn't help but take in the beautiful sights of Anori City. Finally, they arrived at a massive, important-looking building. They exited the vehicle and were led through the building by the uniformed men. When they arrived at the destination, it was a grandiose looking room with a throne in it. Sitting in the throne was a well-dressed Anorian who seemed to be very important. "Your Majesty, I have brought the people you requested."

　

The important looking Anorian smiled and looked at the Doctor and Clara. "Greetings." the Anorian said. "I am King Urin III, sovereign of Anoria. I am well aware of who you are. Your reputation precedes you, Doctor."

　

"What do you want with us?" the Doctor asked, getting straight to the point.

　

"Well," Urin said, "It is not every day of someone as infamous as yourself shows up on Anori. I insist that you join me for supper and stay in the guest quarters."

　

"What if I say no?" the Doctor asked.

　

"I'm offering you a place of honor." Urin explained. "It would be most rude to turn me down."

　

Clara looked at the Doctor and asked, "What are we going to do?"

　

"The Anorians do not tolerate rudeness." the Doctor replied. "If someone offers you a place of honor, it's best for your health to accept it."

　

Clara swallowed. Urin smiled and said, "I am pleased that you understand, Doctor."

　

The Doctor frowned ever so slightly. Just because it was best to do something didn't mean that he had to like it. Still, one never knew what Urin might do if he said no. There was Clara's pregnancy to consider. It would probably be safest for her to accept the king's offer. The Doctor calmly said, "We will accept this honor."

　

Urin, still smiling, said, "Excellent. Accommodations will be prepared for you."

　

oooooooooooooo

　

A few hours later, the Doctor and Clara were led to the main dining hall. A large variety of impressive foods were set about on the table. The Doctor selected a chair and sat down. Clara, of course, sat next to the Doctor. Some servants started putting food onto the Doctor and Clara's plates. As this happened, Urin began to speak. "I thank you for joining this evening." the royal Anorian said. "May I offer my congratulations to yourself and your lovely wife, Doctor?"

　

Clara forced a smile and said, "Thank you."

　

The Doctor discreetly pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began to scan the food to see if it was safe for Clara. Urin turned to the Doctor and said, "I assure you, Doctor, the food is completely safe for yourself and your wife. It is not our way to harm a woman, especially one who is with child. Once again, I offer my congratulations."

　

The Doctor looked directly at Urin and asked, "How would you know that it's safe?"

　

"You and your wife were scanned when you entered the palace." Urin replied. "Standard procedure. It's undetectable by most technology."

　

Clara frowned and asked, "Don't you think that some people would be against being scanned without at least being told about it?"

　

"I forget." Urin said. "You are not aware of our ways. A king can't be too careful."

　

"And you're absolutely certain that I won't try to harm you." The Doctor said.

　

Urin replied, "You would not dare jeopardize the safety of your pregnant wife." The Anorian smiled and continued, "Now, please enjoy your meals."

　

The Doctor and Clara began to eat. They made talk with each other and occasionally with Urin. When the meal was done, Urin clapped his hands together and said, "Now, the servants will lead you to your quarters."

　

oooooooooooooooooooooo

　

When the Doctor and Clara arrived at the guest quarters, the door was opened for them, revealing a lavish room. "Wow." Clara whispered.

　

It was then that Clara noticed the canopy bed. There was only one bed. The servants bowed and left. Clara turned to the Doctor and said, "There's only one bed."

　

"It's no surprise." the Doctor replied. "They believe that we're husband and wife."

　

Clara wasn't really bothered by the fact that she might have to lie in bed with the Doctor. In fact, she rather liked the idea. Still, the Doctor might not like the idea. "At least the bed is huge." Clara commented. "We could both lay on the bed with our arms out and not touch."

　

"Indeed." the Doctor replied. "I suppose we don't have to worry about that."

　

The Doctor was a bit upset about the fact that Clara did not want to lie with him. He had grown used to her touch. He even looked forward to it a bit. He loved her and he wanted to be near her. Clara then noticed that a sleepwear had been provided for them. Hers was a cream-colored nightie that appeared to be the correct size and went down to her knees. Clara then yawned. She had gotten tired. "I think I'm going to go lay down." she said.

　

There was a changing curtain in the room. Clara went behind it and changed into the nightie. It was indeed the right size. She then headed over to the bed, laid down in it, and tucked herself in. A few minutes later, the Doctor emerged from behind the changing curtain in the blue pajamas. He then laid on the opposite side of the bed from Clara. Later that night, Clara awoke to find the Doctor spooning her, his arm draped over her side. Well, this was a surprise. Clara smiled and snuggled back into the Time Lord. This was very nice. With a smile on her face, Clara returned to her slumber.

　

In the morning, Clara awoke to find something hard poking her bum. She immediately knew what it was. She held back a giggle. Still asleep, the Doctor rolled over onto his back. Clara rolled over to look at the Doctor and the tenting in the blanket. Suddenly, Clara had a naughty idea. She grinned and crawled down so she would have better access. Slowly, she slid the Doctor's bottoms down. She smiled as she took in the sight of his impressive package. Clara then took the Doctor's erection in hand and started stroking it. It quickly grew harder in her hand as she continued to pump it with her hand. The Doctor let out a soft moan. Clara grinned and leaned down before running her tongue along the sensitive underside. The Doctor moaned again. Clara grinned again before taking the Time Lord's length into her mouth. She pleasured him enthusiastically. The Doctor's erection still in her mouth, Clara glanced over at him to see that he had woken up. Soon, he buried his hands in Clara's hair holding her still as he pumped his hips, taking his pleasure from her mouth. Gradually, the Doctor began to feel a familiar tightening sensation. He looked down at Clara and their eyes met. To her, there was nothing more arousing than watching the Doctor's expressions as she sucked and licked him. She continued to look him in the face as she pleasured him. Finally, the Doctor found release and spilled himself into Clara's mouth. Clara eagerly swallowed before licking him clean. The Doctor was breathing hard as he watched Clara sit up from where she was kneeling between her legs. "I'm going to take a shower." she announced.

　

Clara walked into the bathroom. It was very impressive, with a variety of bath items, a huge tub, and a large shower. Clara undressed and headed to the shower. She turned the water on to a temperature that was just right. She let out a pleased sigh. She then took some nice-smelling shower gel and began to wash herself. Once that was done, she poured some shampoo into her hand and began to lather her hair. Suddenly, she felt hands in her hair. They began to work the lather in her hair. Clara turned around to see the Doctor, who was just as naked as she was. Clara blushed, her arousal returning anew. The warm water rained down on the two of them, rinsing Clara's hair and soaking the Doctor. The Time Lord knelt down in front of Clara. Clara asked, "Doctor, what are you doing?"

　

"Returning the favor." the Doctor replied.

　

Suddenly, Clara felt the Time Lord's tongue between her folds. She let out a surprised cry. She parted her legs slightly as the Doctor continued to lap at her womanhood. He stroked her wetness with one hand before slowly sliding a finger into her. Clara moaned as the Doctor continued to lave at her womanhood and pleasure her with his hands. She buried her hands in his hair, clenching tightly to his silver curls. Still, all good things must come to an end. Clara shuddered and almost collapsed as she came with a whimper. The Doctor stood up and caressed Clara's cheek before bringing his mouth down to hers. Clara could taste herself in the Doctor's mouth and for some reason that excited her. When she felt the Time Lord hardening again, Clara inhaled sharply. Quietly, she said, "Make love to me, Doctor."

　

The Time Lord nodded and brought his hands to Clara's shoulders. He then turned her around to face the wall of the shower. Clara leaned forward, bracing her hands on the wall. She waited with eager anticipation for the Doctor to enter her. Slowly, he pushed into her until he was wonderfully filling her. Clara let out a soft moan. The Doctor began to gently thrust into Clara. She let out a series of soft gasps as he moved in and out of her. Slowly, he began to increase his pace, though he still remained gentle. When Clara came, it was sweet and blissful. She was followed shortly afterwards by the Doctor as he emptied himself into her. She turned around and brought the Doctor down to her level before pressing her lips to his. She then leaned into his chest. Before she could stop herself, the words had come out of Clara's mouth. "I love you."

　

The Doctor froze. Clara was immediately filled with fear that she had ruined things. She took a step back and said, "Oh god, I'm sorry!"

　

The Doctor looked directly at her and awkwardly said, "I'm not mad at you, Clara."

　

Clara sighed softly and said, "Let's just finish the shower, okay?"

　

The Doctor was terrified, yet overjoyed. Clara Oswald loved him! It was something that he had been longing to hear for months. It was too bad that he was too much of a coward to say it back.

　


	13. Chapter 13: All Good Things

Chapter 36

　

It had been a week since Clara had told the Doctor that she had loved him and nothing seemed to change between them. In some ways, that was a relief. In other ways, it hurt that he did not seem to reciprocate. It was complicated, to be in love. He hadn't told her that he had loved her back. She didn't know if he even loved her back. After what happened last week, she didn't know if she could bear to pretend that she didn't love the Doctor. Sometimes, she wished that she could get into the Doctor's head to know how he was feeling, what he was thinking. She wanted to know how he felt about her. Perhaps he valued her friendship so much that he wouldn't let a little thing like one-sided romantic feelings get in the way. Maybe he was pretending that her confession hadn't happened. It hurt. She wanted him to love her back. Clara sighed and returned to the ham sandwich that she was eating. She just didn't know what to do about the situation between herself and the Doctor. Should she ask him how he felt about her or would it be best not to? She heard someone walking in. Clara looked and saw that it was Jack Harkness walking into the kitchen. He fixed himself a sandwich and sat down at the table with Clara. He glanced at her and said, "Something on your mind?"

　

"Nothing, really." Clara lied.

　

Jack raised a brow, not believing her at all. "Clara, right now, I can read you like a book." he said. "You're stewing."

　

Clara closed her eyes. When she opened them, she blurted, "I love him."

　

Jack grinned and fist-pumped. "I knew it!" he said gleefully before asking, "Did you tell him?"

　

"Yes." Clara replied, lowering her eyes.

　

"How did he react?" Jack asked. "Did he tell you that he loved you back?"

　

"He barely reacted at all." Clara said sadly.

　

Jack frowned and said, "He's completely head over heels for you and he won't tell you?"

　

"I don't know how he feels." Clara said. "He won't tell me. Maybe he doesn't feel anything for me."

　

Jack resisted the urge to bash his head against the table. Why couldn't these two just confess and get together? The Doctor and Clara belonged together. That was the simple truth of things. It would probably take a lot to get the Doctor to confess, though. That was the unfortunate truth. The Doctor and Clara deserved to be happy. It was as clear as day that Clara's feelings for the Doctor were _not_ one-sided. "He's an idiot." Jack said, still frowning. "I'll get him to tell you one way or another."

　

"Don't bother, Jack." Clara said with a frown. "There's a physical attraction, but he doesn't love me."

　

Jack resisted the urge to facepalm. These two were idiots! He needed a plan. Somehow, one way or another, he would get these two together.

　

ooooooooooooooooooooo

　

The Doctor was currently doing some repairs to some pipes in the corridors. He set down his spanner and paused a bit. He heard someone approaching. It was Jack. "What do you want, Harkness?" the Doctor asked.

　

"Clara's been a bit upset lately." Jack commented.

　

"Oh?" the Doctor questioned.

　

"Yeah." Jack said. "She thinks that you don't care for her."

　

The Doctor paused before saying, "Of course I care. She's my friend."

　

"When are you going to tell her that you love her?" Jack asked bluntly.

　

"I don't love her." the Doctor said quietly.

　

"Are you telling me that," Jack asked, "or are you telling yourself?"

　

With that, Jack walked away, leaving the Doctor alone with his thoughts.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooo

　

Week 37

　

Amelia could tell that Clara was upset, though she didn't know why. She figured that it had something to do with the Doctor. He had upset her before. She wouldn't be surprised if he had upset her again. Right now, she was picking Clara up from work. When Clara got into Amelia's car, she paused before saying, "I need to get something from my flat."

　

"Got it, Chickie." Amelia replied. "Want me to go in with you?"

　

"Sure." Clara said.

　

"It might be safer anyway." Amelia said, making a logical point. "Just in case the creep is nearby."

　

Clara nodded and said, "You can definitely come in with me."

　

"Good decision, Chickie." Amelia said with a smile.

　

Amelia drove Clara to her block of flats before parking her car and exiting. The two women then headed up to Clara's flat. Clara unlocked the door with her new keys and walked in. The inside wasn't particularly nice, but at least there was no one there. Clara headed into her room to retrieve what she needed to get. While Clara was gone, the door opened. When Amelia saw who it was, she gasped, " _You_!"

　

Amelia was then struck in the head, knocking her out. Clara left her room, saying, "I just needed to get some files."

　

When Clara saw who had entered her apartment, she gasped, "Oh my god!"

　

The person grabbed Clara. Clara tried to struggle, but the assailant held a cloth over her mouth. Chloroform. Clara was out like a light. The assailant then lifted Clara and carried her out of her flat.

　

oooooooooooooooooooo

　

When Clara awoke, she was lying on her side on the ground. She opened her eyes and sat up. She heard a familiar male voice say, "Welcome back, darling."

　

Clara couldn't believe who it was. "Alex?" she gasped.

　

Alex stood over her menacingly. His pinkie finger was gone, probably cut off to fake his death. "Alex, what are you doing?" Clara asked.

　

"I came to see you, of course." Alex said with a smile. "You wouldn't respond to any of my emails. At least I finally got to go to your flat." Alex clucked his tongue and waved his finger as if scolding her. "You know, you're a real tease, Clara. Making me want you and not letting me have you."

　

"You were the one who was sending me those emails?" Clara questioned. Her blood turned to ice. She remembered the things that the emails had said.

　

Alex knelt down in front of Clara and smiled once more. "You didn't answer them." he said. "I did so want to talk to you."

　

"Alex, let me go." Clara said insistently.

　

"I'm afraid that I can't do that." Alex said with a frown. "Like I said, you're a tease. You pretend to want me but you go to the old man instead? For shame. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."

　

Alex pulled out a knife and smiled. He grabbed Clara by the arm and swiftly slashed it, leaving a painful cut. Clara cried out in pain. She tried to get away, but Alex grabbed her by both of her wrists and frowned. "It'd be best if you just let me discipline you." Alex said. "You need to learn to listen to me."

　

With that, Alex slashed across Clara's chest. Clara cried out in pain once more. She knew that, whatever Alex planned, she would be in for a living hell. Alex, seeing the pained look on Clara's face, brought this tongue down and laved it over the gash on Clara's chest. "Just accept your punishment, Clara." Alex said calmly. "When it's over, I'll make love to you."

　

He planned to rape her, Clara realized. She began to struggle even more. She had to get out of there! Once again, Alex brought his knife down to cut her arm. If she didn't get out of there, she would truly suffer.

　

ooooooooooooooooooo

　

The Doctor had landed the TARDIS in the usual pick-up spot, but Clara wasn't there. He waited for a while, but she still didn't come. After a while, he became concerned. He thought of the places she would most likely be located at. First, he headed to Cricket Bat Woman's flat. Her partner told him that, no, Clara was not there. She and Cricket Bat Woman had gone to Clara's flat to pick something up. The Doctor was filled with an unexplainable dread when he took the TARDIS to Clara's flat. When he got there, he stepped out and nearly tripped over Cricket Bat Woman. The American woman groaned and slowly sat up. "Where's Clara?" the Doctor demanded.

　

"He took her." the injured woman said.

　

"Who?" the Doctor asked.

　

"Alex Chang." she replied. "He faked his death and now he has her! I think it was him who broke into Clara's place and sent her those threatening emails."

　

Without a word, the Doctor headed back into the TARDIS and began to scan for Clara. It took him a minute or so, but he did find her. She was miles away, in a warehouse. He quickly began to press buttons and pull levers, sending the TARDIS into the vortex. He was fairly sure that his ship travelled a hell of a lot faster than normal as he took it to the warehouse. When the Doctor exited the TARDIS, he dashed in the direction of the warehouse. He opened the door and, inside, he saw a horrible sight. Clara lay there, covered with horrible wounds. A man was in the middle of cutting her dress off. " _Clara_!" the Doctor cried.

　

The man, Alex Chang, smiled at the badly injured Clara and said, "I'll have to return to you later, sweetheart."

　

With that, Alex discarded the knife. He then reached down to his hip and drew a gun. He pointed it directly at the Doctor. Immediately, he pulled the trigger and hit the Time Lord in the shoulder. "Pity." Alex clucked. "I was aiming for your chest. This time, I won't miss."

　

"No!" Clara gasped.

　

She reached for the knife and somehow managed to find the strength to get to her feet. She charged at Alex and brought the knife into his back Alex cried out in pain before turning around. Clara grabbed at him and they struggled for the gun. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the warehouse. Time seemed to stand still as Clara fell to the ground. Alex looked horrified. He then bolted. " _Clara!_ " the Doctor cried, rushing to his fallen companion.

　

When he saw the gunshot wound in her abdomen, his hearts fell. Clara seemed to realize it as well and began to sob. The Doctor's shoulders slumped. For all those months, he had imagined his and Clara's life together, imagined a little boy with brown hair and brown eyes growing up in front of them. Now, it was all gone. Clara was sobbing violently in the Doctor's arms. "Oh god, Doctor, I'm sorry!" She wept.

　

"It's not your fault." the Doctor said, holding her tightly.

　

Clara was losing blood and fading fast. The Doctor feared that he might lose her. "Doctor," Clara whimpered. "I'm sorry. I love you. Oh _god_ , Doctor!"

  
"I love you, too." the Doctor confessed. Then he said firmly, "Clara, stay with me!"

　

As Clara faded into unconsciousness, she was aware of the sound of sirens in the background.

　

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

　

3 Months Later

　

The Doctor awoke alone in his bed. It had been three months since the incident in the warehouse and he still couldn't stop thinking about it. The police had arrived and arrested Alex and an ambulance took Clara to the hospital. When the physician gave the Doctor the news, he felt as if the ground had fallen out from under him. He very nearly collapsed. When he was able to visit Clara, he had to give her the news. When she heard what he had to say, she began to sob violently. All these months and it was over. The Doctor sighed and got out of bed to find Clara. He had a fairly good idea as to where she might be. He left his room and headed down the hall to the nursery. He quietly opened the door. It was mostly dark inside, with the exception of a lamp near the crib. Clara was standing there by the crib, her hand resting lightly on the railing. The Doctor walked over to Clara and set a hand on her shoulder. "Clara," he said, "Come back to bed."

　

Clara let out a soft sigh and said, "All those months of being pregnant. It's been three months and I still can't believe that it's over."

　

"It's been an adjustment." the Doctor admitted.

　

"Yeah." Clara said, looking down into the crib. A soft smile formed on her face as she said, "He's beautiful, isn't he?"

　

The Doctor looked down into the crib at the sleeping infant. He had a shock of brown hair on his head and, though they were closed now, beautiful brown eyes. "That he is." the Doctor said with a smile.

　

It was really a wonder that the baby had survived. The bullet hadn't hit anything vital. "Things will certainly be interesting as he grows up." the Doctor said.

　

"He really is unique." Clara said, smiling once more.

　

"John Smith Oswald." The Doctor mused. "Things are certainly going to be more interesting in the TARDIS."

　

"I don't know what will happen next," Clara admitted, "but I know that we can handle this together."

　

The Doctor squeezed Clara's shoulder and agreed, "Together."

　

Clara turned to face the Doctor and leaned into his chest. "I love you." Clara whispered.

　

"I love you, too." the Doctor said softly.

　

The Time Lord then cupped Clara's chin and tilted her head a little before bringing his mouth down to hers in a gentle kiss. As Clara and the Doctor embraced, they both became aware of the TARDIS playing Survivor's _I Can't Hold Back_. In that instant, everything was as it should be. It was perfect.

　

The End

 


End file.
